Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1874.] TUESDAY, MAY 14, 1895. COUNTY AMALGAMATION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5025, 14 May 1895, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1874.] TUESDAY, MAY 14, 1895. COUNTY AMALGAMATION.

Ix another column Mr Coleman Phillips advocates County amalgamation, and very much is lo be said in favour of possessing larger, am] stronger local bodies iu the Colony, Hut is iv radical change in the constitution of our local solf-goverment opportune at the present moment ? Ever since the Liberals came into power they have been engaged in taking old Governmental machinery lo pieces ami setting up new types. We linyo had endless and troublesome changes which havo cost largo sums of ' s pionoy, and liiiyc seriously deranged the pastoral, agricultural and industrial interests of the Colony. This ■' throwing out of gear" policy is now to bo directed against local bodios, and ibo first elfeot of it must be to still linilioi' intensify the existingdcpression.Ardontroformei's have been at work for four years, and (lie Colony generally is nnfforing from the remedies they have prescribed and enforced. Is there to be no rest from Seddoniau dynamite, are we not to bo allowed even one little interval just to take breath ? We have, as Mr Phillips declares, too many local bodies, and possibly Mr Seddon may wish that all local bodies had but oue neck so that the local Gorcpnment problem could be 'solved at one sweep of thpsprd, but may not the remedy be worse than the disease ? Is it safe at a timo when life Oplony is ruled by Trades Unions and Socialists to put local bodies into the melting pot ? Mr Coleman Phillips, in hjs desire for County arnalgamatiop, maybe willing to put local bodies under the beef of the Trades Unions, but we. while agreeing tq a ceripi extent with his views, are not so anxious to see tbo labour party destroying the littlo shred of local self-government still surviving in country districts. Mr Coleman Phillips was wont some years ago to be the Ishmael of of the Wairarapa South County politics, and his views generally, though they may have the approval of Mr Seddon, are not quite in touch with the sentiments of the district in which he resides. No doubt he is

taking a broad view of the question upon which ho writes, and is entitled to some consideration on this scoro, but wo have had so much bad legislation jammed down our throats during the past few years, that we question whether it is desirable to take another dose, even though the new specific lie warranted by Messrs Seddon and Coleman Phillips,