Tis distance lends enchantment to the view

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 134, 26 November 1875, Page 2 (Supplement)

Tis distance lends enchantment to the view

It surely stands to reason that forty-six men, all of -whom are elected by yourselves, assembled within the Province, can deal far more satisfactorily with your interests than can eighty-four men assembled in the North Island — only one-fourth of whom are elected by you. Another great argument which is urged in favor o£ the proposed change is, that it will secure a greater amount of justice to outlying districts, that is to say, it will confer upon Otago what it already to a great extent possesses, and which every district which so desires it may possess to-morrow — viz., Boad Boards with power to rate themselves. Hitherto these Boad Boards have been subsidised by the Province out of its land fund. Under the proposed new regime they are to be subsidised out of moneys contributed by the people themselves. And this is the great boon for which we are invited to part ■with those institutions under which the Province has flourished so remarkably, just as if this boon coxild not be obtained if necessary under the existing system. I know of few things which have been more beneficial to this Province than the liberal subsidies which during the past ten years have been received by the District Uoad Boards and Municipalities at the hands of the Provincial Government. Ifc is true that since 1871 tbe Colonial Government bus subsidised Eoad Boards throughout the Colony to the extent of £50,000 a year, and that Otago has had its proportion of this sum. Tliis money, however, has not come out of revenue but out of loans, which have to be repaid — an easy mode of acquiringpopularity from which the Provincial Governments' have been carefully debarred. Depend upon it, inadequate as it may have been towards their requirements, the outlying districts of Otago have had vastly more money expended within tbein by the Provincial Council than they are ever likely to have at the hands of the General Assembly. I would say more, that but for the enormous drain upon the resources of the Province [which has gone to uphold the lavish expenditure of the Colonial Parliament, the outlying districts would have been far more liberally dealt with than they have been. If the General Assembly can be confined to purely federal action, and the colonial expenditure reduced by £200,000 a year, both of which objects can be accomplished if the people are true to themselves, the outlying districts would be in an infinitely better position than they would be under the Abolition Bill. Tbe abolition of the Native and Defence Departments alone, which cost the Colony £126,000 a year, would enable the rrovinccs largely to increase their expenditure in outlying districts.

Had the management of Native affairs been left to the Provinces, aa they ought to have been, millions of money might have been available for outlying districts, and for the general benefit. One of the crimes with which your Provincial Council was most loudly charged in the Assembly, was that its sole aim had been to aggrandize Dunedin at the expense of the Province. Never was there a more reckless and unfounded charge. It would be no difficult matter to show that considering the extent of its population, Dunedin has had no more than very scant justice at the hands of the Provincial Council. It is much to be regretted that there are those among us who, while they exhibitan unfounded jealousy towards Dunedin, lave no 1 ob j oction to aggrandize Wellington to any extent, at the expense of Otago. I have long been convinced that if there is to be any genuine diffusion of local administrative power throughout the Colony, such diflusion will have to emanate from Provincial Legislatures. Ido not anticipate that any practical measure in this direction is likely to proceed from Centralism as it exists in this Colony. The Provincial Council of Otago has done much in the way of extending power of local administration. It has already placed upon the Statute Book an Ordinance whereby, if tie people desire it, County Boards may be constituted at any time, with full power to admister all local matters ; an Ordinance which confers far greater powers, and makes much more liberal provision in the way of substantial endowments, then did the local Government Bill, introduced into the General Assembly as part of the Abolition Bill. By virtue of a colonial statute, a fixed proportion of the land revenue has to be set aside as an endowment for these County Boards, whenever they are brought into existence. As it is, however, none have taken advantage of this Ordinance, from which, it may be presumed that the people deem themselves better off as they are ; an opinion in which. I do not think that they are very far wrong. The Provincial Council has created and endowed all over the Province, Municipalities, Eoad Boards, School Boards, Harbour Boards, Athenaeums ; in short, its maxim has been to decentralise administrative power in every direction, and in this it has afforded a striking contrast to the Colonial Parliament, whose principle of action has been, centralise — centralise — centralise — so much so, that if not cheeked now, it willshortly become impossibleto movein any part of New Zealand without the authority of the Governor in Council, which means practically, an irresponsible bureaucracy at Wellington. That your Provincial Council is faultless and may not be improved, it is not for me to allege. Let it be what it may, it is an embodiment of the popular will ; a transcript of yourselves ; and if it acts indiscretly, the remedy is in your own hands. All I would say further is that if you sweep it away, you will commit an act which you yourselves will yet bitterly regret; an act which posterity will mourn over and deplore. What would England, Ireland, and Scotland give now to have what we are asked to throw away — their local parliaments to deal with local affairs ? You may rest assured that political privileges are not so easily acquired that they should be lightly disposed of, and that nothing btit the most culpable indifference as to the responsibilities which devolve upon them, -will account for the people of this Colony parting with one iota of the powers and privileges which they now possess, or permitting themselves to be led by those who are influenced by a morbid love of change for its own sake. One word more in conclusion. I have endeavored very imperfectly to point out that Otago, which has been the milch cow of the Colony, has nothing to gain, but everything to lose should the Abolition Bill be carried into operation — that the Colonial Parliament has from first to last been the wet blanket upon progress — that the resources of the Province are every day disappearing more and more in the maelstrom of Colonial finance — that the bane of the Colony has been the gradual growth of a grasping and improvident Centralism, repugnant to the genius of free institutions, and totally unsuited to the peculiar circumstances of New Zealand. You might as well attempt to build a pyramid, commencing at the apex, as to build up a great nation in New Zealand by means of one Central Government at Wellington. I cannot disguise from myself the fact that, could T\re divest ourselves of the idea, of the unity of New Zealand, the true remedy for the existing evils, in as far as Otago is concerned, would be that the Province should be erected into an independent Colony. Even were the people unanimous on this point, however, there are difficulties in the way which would take much time to surmount. As it is, therefore, the practical remedy at this moment is to send to the new Parliament men who Avill spare the country from that plethora of Government with which it has for years been scourged — men who will see to it, that the General Assembly shall take the shape of a simple and inexpensive federal Council, dealing only with a very few subjects; and that the two Islands, and the various Provinces in each, shall be separate, distinct, and independent as regards the disposal and control of their respective revenues, and the management of their local affairs. Of course there must needs he an equitable adjustment, as between the Provinces, as to the payment of existing Colonial liabilities, which adjustment would have to be regulated by the federal Legislature. Finally, I trust it may not be deemed out of place to point out, in reference to the approaching election, that if there should be more than one anti-Centralist candidate for the same seat, the chances are that the Centralist candidate representing it may be a minority of the constituency, will be returned, unless all the antiCentralist candidates but one can be induced to retire, or unless the electors shall determine to confine their support to one and the same candidate. Ido most fervently hope that every elector will arouse himself to a due sense of the gravity of the situation, and that we may each and all be guided and directed by that wisdom that cometh from above. I have the honor to be, fellow colonists, yours faithfully, J. MACANDBEW, Superintendent of Otago. Dunodiib 16th. Nov., 1875.