The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. TUESDAY, JULY JO, IJS9.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2660, 30 July 1889, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

TUESDAY, JULY JO, IJS9.

Equal <m«i ux.irt justicc to all men, _ Oi whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. _

TitJi public; meeting lioltl in Auckland on Saturday, to afford moral support to the disgraceful exhibition now lining enacted within the walls of Parliament, docs not appear to have been altogether unanimous. There were speakers who did not endorse the demands of the cities for greater representation than the country districts, claiming moie political and economic importance for the latter from a national point of view ; and there were others who expressed their suspicions, as we have already our own belief, that the real meaning of this shameful farce, is an indirect attempt to testoro the number of members of the I louse to ninety-five by securing the repeal of the Act of 1887. The remarks of those speakers were received with applause from persons in the meeting, thus proving that in Auckland public opinion is divided on the merits of the question in its relation to town and country. As has been before explained, the Bill, which is so bitterly opposed, substracts twenty-live per cent, from the population of the four chief city electorates and adds them to the suburban population. All the other towns such as Napier, Nelson, Timaru, and others of similar rank, are included in the classification of rural or suburban districts. The opponents of the 13ill raise a tremendous outcry against this ; but, after all, these towns possess populations barely exceeding seven thousand souls each, at the most, and are not equal to many provincial villages and fifth-rate country towns in England. The "stonewall" has obtained no encouragement from them. Again, taking Auckland as an illustration, the quota given to the country may be large or small, but in neither case will the actual representation ol the city be diminished. Otahuhu, North Shore, llowick, Onehunga, and many other surrounding localities, are virtually part and parcel of Auckland, and though they arc in electorates returning separate members, in reality they will add to the representation of the city itself. There is absolutely no diversity of interest between them. The quota, whether twentyfive or fifty per cent., would simply be like taking a coin_ from one pocket and putting it into another. The representatives from those outside districts will, d: Jacto, be Auckland representatives. As with Auckland and hcradjacent suburban districts, so with all the other three cities ; the interests are one and the same in each case, and their political privileges are not tbieitenod. The danger on the contrary, is, that with the coming in force of the Act of ISB< reducing the number of members, the enlarged area of country electorates with then' sparse population, and without a readjustment of the miotfi, they, the country districts, will sillier a loss of political power bv a weakening of their ivme.setuu.tiou. This must not be. The colony has been dominated too long t>y powerful city cliques who have exorcised p. potential influence in t.ho • ciministration oc the colony, I not always for the good of the coun- > uy at large. The cities inivu reaped

all the fruits of the golden period of borrowed money, and the selfish demands of the city mobs have prevented the settlement of the country being prosecuted synchronously with the Public Works expenditure. At their eonimand emigration was stopped. The future greatness of this young nation depends on the industry, energy, and intelligence of the people who are settled in the country, and not in the cities, where arc found so large a proportion of voters who have no stake in the colony, and do not care two straws for its future. It is time the country possessed a more substantial voice in shaping the political destiny and the national life of the colony. As we have shown, there is no real causc for the attitude of the town party, their representation being in no danger. Hut we are more and more convinced that under all this heroic display, intended to attract popularity, the main object is to bring the Government and its policy into contempt, in order to secure sufficient force to effect a repeal of the Act of 1887 and retain the constitution of the House at ninetylive members. We observe by the last reports from Wellington that Ministers take this view of the situation, and are determined to resist any attempt to reverse the will of the people in that direction. There is also another object the town party have in mind ; they fsar their selfish policy of Protection will be given its death-blow should the balance of power pass into the hands of the country. Can we, then, sympathise with such an arrogant minority, who misuse the privileges of: Parliament to accomplish the success of their conspiracy 1