MR J. C. FIRTH ON ABOLITION.
The following ,very sensible letter on appeared in the Auckland morning papersTbn Saturday s-iT , - -
To the Editor: Sir,—lndisposition having prevented my at'atiy of the, political meetings held daring the past week, I avail myself of your columns to express my opinions on the question of the day—the abolition of the provinces. Let me say at the outset that I welcome the revival of public interest which the recent meetings have cafled forth 1./, And, though I regret, as,,eyery jreti-w.is.hW. to this country must, .regret, that in some quarters appeals hare been made more or less direct to the settleinen.t of the question by'the-armed hand, lam satis* fled that the r good' sense-of the community will regard these,foolish_and impulsive utterances as mere sound and fury, signifying nothing; and that' ultimately, there will grow up a healthy public opinion, without which''the mbft liberal institutions must become of little value. Most people admit that the pro? vincial system was .at first a necessity, and that it had donemuchwork,and done it in the "main, welK Nearly:' .411"? its ancient duties arc, however, now done by municipalities, harbour, education, and road boards. In the provinces destitute of land funds the system is dying of inanition. In the provinces v with large land funds it has developed :%to a wasteful Centralism of. a very jgMipw and selfish type. Provincialism M^wered a mean Provincial jealousy, greatly'anbversive of the true interests of the colonists. The presence of the Superintendents and their henchmen in the House has created a system of log-rolling and intrigue which v so long as the Provincial system con* tinues, will render good government Veil nigh impossible. These consideration^ amongst others, have during the past year produced, a general desire throughout' the colony for the abolition of the Provincial system. This remarkable concurrence of public opinion North and South can only point to the conclusion that the great body of colonists have well considered the question, and fully .made up their minds that the provinces must be abolished. That being so, the minor question "of when becomes simply a matter of convenience. Of course, when the time has come for opinion to take the form of action, there is the usual and not unnatural disinclination' to part company with" an old' acquaintance, just as some men cling to an old coat after the threadbare and wornout garment has ceased to be of any use. Even the enfranchised beggar wonders how he will get along without the wallet he no longer needs, but which he bis carried so long that he can hardly brinjf himself to believe he can get along without it. The Opposition in the House, with a few exceptions, have had very little to say against abolition per se. The cry,, is for postponement. Remit the question, say they, to a new Parliament. Most of the speakers at the Auclctand meetings have taken up the same cry. Divested of its scntimentalism there is nothing in it. 1.. the thing is to be done, the sooner, the better. Rid of the Superintendents and their cliques, the House will the better address itself to the real work before it—the codification of crude provincial ordinances,, and the adop- - tion of measures to secure theW-' peace, order, and good government, of the colony as a whole. lam no partisan of the Government, but I give them credit for being able to read accurately the state of public opinion in the colony as being, by an overwhelming majority, in '-farQCof abolition, and J hope they will not lie deterred by the intrigues of time-serving politicians or the cries of impulsive orators, from carrying this desire to its logical conclusion, namelyj abolition, both "absolute and immediate. —I.any&c, JVC. Firth. *
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Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2070, 23 August 1875, Page 2
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626MR J. C. FIRTH ON ABOLITION. Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2070, 23 August 1875, Page 2
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