ABOLITION AND ECONOMY IDENTICAL.

Waikato Times, Volume IX, Issue 520, 18 September 1875, Page 2

ABOLITION AND ECONOMY IDENTICAL.

Sir,— ln 1870 Sir Juliua Vog4 propoasd hi« gigautio Pnbhe Works scheme, in which I may say in passing, lie was supported mainly by the sfoubh, and notably by the fquatring interest. tLis mot cPorJre was " borrow," and the daring financier has so Stimulated Government enterprise and'expenditure, that we.shall shortly hare a debt of twenty millions, or thereabout, involving an. early payment, of nearly a million for interest. In 1870, wool greatly advanced in pries, and it has £ontinuod high in price till this date. Under these two conditions, certain interests of thj Colony have enjoyed fiveyearsjofunparallelled prosperity. The opjrations ofcertaiu economic laws will probably before long bring about a change more wholesome than pleasant. We hare come to the end of our borrowing powers, and we- ehall shortly hive expended all tnat we have borrowed Besides, wool cajnoi> keap up for ever. Al-eady there are the u-uil indications of a he^vy tall in va'ue. I think we shall find bo* • fore 1877 has passed that all our borrowed money will be " gone," ani that wool jvill be " down." Under these circumstances it will be well for all to prepare for a period of great suffering and adversity. One thing above all is nacessary, namely, that every family and every form of Government begin to exercise a moir rigid economy Ultimately the G »lony will pull through the reverses incidental ta fire years of rash schemes and extravagant expenditure. Bufc in the meantime, if we are wise, we shall rake ia sail ready f>r the coming storm. Under the Julian regime extravagant expenditure has b,jen the rule in General (Government administration. Nor have the Provincial Governments been o ie whit more economical when they have had largo land revenues to expend. It is true that in Auckland great economy has been practised But, as though economy were a thing to be asaauied of in these days, reite the starved apotTiocivy, even the most eoonomio Government isreaJy to say > My poverty, not my will, consents. In truth, double Government has long been a grievous burden, and latterly a wretched larce as well. The country is ready to cry — - A plague on both your houses. The colony muat get rid if oue of you at least. Neither expenditure nor taxation oan possibly be reduced *o long as the Provincial system aota aa an effectual "buffer" to prevent public opiniontrom affecting the General Government. JNo better plan for neutralising, of even destroying puolio opinion in this colony, could have been devised than a system which has developed such, greedy spendthrifts and such "sturdy beggars" as the Superindents South aud North. In the«o days Provincialism is the incarnation of selfishness and meanness. The seizure and| mi>appre« uriation of the laud fund ha } destroyed the Proriucial system, and justly destroyed it. The centres of population in Otago and Canterbury have seized more than theirsuaveof the land fund, ita-ving their own out districts, exaotljp as these two pror/ncca hire U"juafcly aburbed the Jaud futtd whu'h. was teally ttio proparty of the wkolo colony. With eqvi.ii injustice the po.ls of Auckland, WelliDgtoa, or Dunedin, might have olami« ed the Customs rojfmua Idiied at easb port m

belonging to them, and uot applicable to th<> wants ot the colony at large. dad Mrnenuis AgrippA hren in these d»:yt>, our Southern Pliilistintß, Rolles-ton and Mucandrew, would hay.> «ho«n him a i ew application ef his f*blo of the * 4 Belly and the Members." In 'a word, Provincial greed has destroy«u Provincialism, and in that it has dove well, lor there can be no suoh , thing in this co'oiiy as equitible and economical Government so long t»s thu Provincial system exiscs. J he r< m-dy lies in abohti m -iaijiediatk and total aboj.itiox Tue plea for delay put forward in some quarters, is not eutitled to consideration. TLe shifts and policy of this really small flection of the community forcibly remind afc}.of Mr Micawber's tactics, who, all the while sinking with debt and difficulty, and to himself *r making wry fticcs, was in daily expectation of ••something turning up" to perpetuate a »hatn •nd a wrong. When a bet tier goes iuto the forest to make a ho ne for himself, does he not, as his first operation, cut down the trees which obairuct the light and heat. Haying done ibis first mdis tensable work, he then puts in Ins small store of gj»S3, wheat, or other seed-*, knowing /Veil that ween once tbeground is clear, his useful ♦ substitution will surely though slowly yield him a plenteous harvest. He knows well that the longer he delays cutting down the obstructive timber, -*r ho longer does he postpone his harvest. Some of our obstructive politicians at Wel-ingion ap- ! pear to be attempted to set the oIJ song of " Woodman, spare that tree" to a ui-w tune. i3ui ' it won t do. ihe people will not be charmed, ; ciiarm tk.-y never so wisely. Ihe tree tms been > •pared lou^ enough. Last year the master of 'he ! viue-yai'd came to the Pr iVineial tre , seeLing ' fruit, but finding none. All the people id ihe ' Uofouy heard him say "Let it be out down, *hy . ■ encumbereth it tho ground ?" At (hut time t\\>- ' people said, "Don't be in a huny. syiue this} treeon*< ye»r more, and then if u bear not fruit, ! thou shalt cut it down." The baa come aud ' • gone No fi uifc Ins appeared, l'he time for de- ; lay has passed away The time tor action has ' e^>me. The peopie of tbi-. P ovmce are weary of thi eX'iava^a-ice and tohy of bota Oreneral aud , fl Piovifjciil Uo?ernment, bo thut, the "' outtVr" ' biiiiL; ueuiol'B-ie «, tho battering raoi of public, f opini >n ..ay be brought to bear with full an i ] uuc >eckt'd force on tho abuses and . xu*av.»gttncc | L whioh intest. thr- Gr<ne/al legislature. Eeauce . our iegU atara from 50vJ to i<£o, aud economic ' t alujiuisurutioii wid h-tve a chance. 'Xhe Odiou- ' , Jsts may then require, as a beginning of economy, the aboiitioa of the payment of members of tue Assemi,l>, to be followed by a general land lax '• aa a necessary cjrnplement ot tue extravagant ' expeuditurd of rhe past five yvars, aud as a part - ot lhj,t geneial system of 'direct t.»xatun winch, sooner, or later, must follow general representa- , tiou if real economy 13 ever to reign in tho aa- I ministration of public affairs I repeat, .the fir&t j c step in th^ good work of reform and economy is j the immediate abolition of the Provincial bysiem. '- 1 nave little, doubt tnat, apetiuon to the Assembly ] a for feueh abolition would be largely signed | itbrouguout the Province. t3uen an opportunity , Yor exuressiug the deep-seated convictious cf tiia J intelligent and moderate sectiou ot the com- I - xnumti, Wiiose voices h.ive not yd boen heard, ought to ba afforded thtm. — I am, &c, ! J. C Fieth. Auckland, September 1 th, 1875.