LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume I, Issue 22, 1 June 1867, Page 2

LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT.

It is generally understood that a Bill is in preparation by the Attorney-Gene-ral, under the direction of Mr b'itzherbert and Major Richardson, having- for its object the establishment of a system of Municipal Government in certain districts in the colony. It lias been taken for granted that this measure will be the means of eventually breaking up the Provinces, and rendering one General Government for the whole of New Zealand a matter of much less difficulty than at present. We do not see why this should necessarily be the case; but we are not the less convinced that the present system is becoming intolerable. The revenues which the General Government now squanders away could be doubtless better expended by local authorities; but it is not the intention of the General Government to effect a change in this direction ; it is not its intention to deprive itself of any of its present overgrown revenues and powers; but to band over to municipal districts certain revenues and powers now subject to the appropriation of the Provincial Councils, and now enjoyed by the Provincial Governments. We doubt whether the time has arrived when Provincial Governments in such provinces as Auckland and Otago, or even as Canterbury or Nelson, could be either safely or advantageously dispensed with; and we have no doubt whatever that should the attempt succeed it would inevitably result in the separation of the two islands. We nevertheless support the proposition to confer a fixed portion of their revenue, and full powers of local self-government on outlying districts; and we believe that the same decentralizing system could be adopted with advantage in the central as well as in the Provincial Governments.

As it is very probable such a measure as that above referred to will be brought forward by the Government in the ensuing l session of the General Assembly, the settlers of the Wairarapa in general and thoseofGreytown, Featherston, Carterton and Masterton in particular should lose no time in endeavoring to secure the whole of the advantages which such a measure might be made to confer upon them. An effort should be made to obtain the insertion of a clause in the Bill which would vest in the local authorities the control andadministratiou not only of the public, but of the Educational reserves in those places. Eor this purpose public meetings should he held and resolutions passed of the purport here indicated, which could be forwarded by the Chairman to the Colonial Secretary. If this view should receive the approval of the public it will be advisable that immediate action should be taken to carry it into effect, as the General Assembly will meet on the 9th July, and the measure referred to will probably bo one of the first introduced.