Tuapeka Times AND GOLDFIELD REPORTER AND ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1874. "MEASURES, NOT MEN."

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 410, 21 November 1874, Page 2

Tuapeka Times AND GOLDFIELD REPORTER AND ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1874. "MEASURES, NOT MEN."

Believing as we do that the outlying districts do not receive the attention at the hands of the Provincial Government which their wants and contributions to the revenue demand, we have gone in for the "Provincial changes proposed by the Premier. But we do not disguise from ourselves, nor would we from our readers, the fact that another cause is the motive one with the proposer of the measnre, viz., the exigencies of revenue. He has gone in for public works on a gigantic scale, and the Provinces, only too anxious to enjoy the luxury of spending borrowed money, have eagerly supported him. Thus backed, the Premier went on, and the Provinces, from the presence of borrowed capital, were prosperous. Now, however, the funds are getting dispersed, and the period is at hand when the interest must be paid out of borrowed capital no longer, and it has become imperative to prepare the way for coming events now " casting their shadows before." To meet the inevitable, Mr. Yogel proposes these changes, that he might "finance" for the whole of the Island in its sectional divisions as well as an integral part of the. Colony. Now, it is just here where the scheme is open to suspicion. What is begotten of an exigency of this miture it ia not easy to control by the rules of strict equity. The likelihoods are that the Colonial Treasurer may fmcl himself in a position similar to ihai o£ a not over honest tradesman who is pressed by his creditors, arid who then does things which in ordinary circumstances he would not do. Even men of comparative integrity have yielded to the pressure of such circumstances, and therp is just a danger in the contingencies that may j»ri-!e out of our indebtedness thnt fchia arrangement may not prove all that wo could desire for outlying districts. We would therefore suggest that it would be well to scrutinise carefully the arrangements that are to take the place of the Provincial Governments. We ought in all fairness to have them before the country for consideration and discussion. It wonld even be well to introduce the Bill this coming session for discussion, and allow the people time to form their opinions. We are not here as in Eugland or America, nor as we hope one day to be, where news can be posted by rail as well as by telegraph. News travels at a slower rate here — i.e., news in full. The telegraphic summary furnished is only intelligible to the few; the majority, not being posted on public questions, have not sufficient before them in the summary to form an opinion, and have to wait for further particulars. In this way a measure is often through the House before the great body nf the people know anything of it. Now this change ought not to be unduly hastened. It will be all the more satisfactorily settled that time is afforded to it. "Haste makes waste." We have offered these remarks because the time is now come when we ought to look the ways and means of effecting the change in the face. We have only very general hints as to the way the Premier intends to carry out his resolutions. We should like to have something more definite before us ; and we say this much, because unless satisfactory provision for local selfgovernment be made, we, may not reap all the advantages we hope for in the change. We shall return to this subject again, and before we are done with it will give our readers an idea of what has been done in "Otago to anticipate the superseding of the Provincial Government.