Occasional Notes.

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 76, 23 December 1875, Page 7

Occasional Notes.

By Coi.oxus. BOARDS OF WORKS. Though some of the Provinces of New Zealand do not sf-em disponed to surrender their individuality, yet in otber parts of tlie country there doubtless exists a considerable amount of" feeling' in favor of such an alteration of the Constitution as would centre legislative and administrative power in one General Government. Certainly the reasons for an alteration of the present. Constitution of the country are not very clear or apparent; nor have the Abolitionists as yet brought forward any arguments calculated to produce a con- j viution that the colony will be benefited by the change. If it had not been for the introduction of the Works and Immigration Scheme, the colony wuild probably not now be disaussing the subject of an alteration of its Constitution. The carrying out, however, of the Works and Immigration Scheme has proved such an expensive undertaking that the General Government hiive felt it necessary to have at its disposal and under its immediate control, the entire monetary resources of the colony. Some of the impecunious provinces have anticipated, and rightly so, that their position would *be benefited by the proposed change of the Constitution, and have therefore readily given the whole wei»bt of their influence in the General Assembly to the Government, and have thereby caused the Government sido of the balance so far to preponderate, as to render it highly probable that the provincial party wdl b-ive to give in whether for good or evil. It is doubtful whether Gt.igo will be a gainer, or rather it appears very certain she will be a loser, by the destruction of ttvh v individuality of the province, and the abolition of a Council composed of representatives from all parts of the pro vince, which Council had power to accumulate a fund and administer the same in the doing of local works, to initiate land laws, and generally to act for the special benefit of the province. Whether a Board of Works will prove anything like a satisfactory equivalent for the Provincial Council as regards this province, remains to be seen Of course all depends on the constitution of such Boards, and the powers that may be granted to them. The more powerful these Boards of Works are made, the more, the cau<e of Provincialism will be advanced, and the greater will be the check placed on the action of the General Government. If it should appear on the next meeting of Parliament that there is no chance of the Abolition Act being repealed, then the Provincialists should exert themselves to the utmost to ensure that much of the power lately exercised by the Provincial Councils shall be transferred to the 1 Boards of Works. Sir R D. Bell,: in his late address at Dunedin, strongly urges the necessity of initiating B mrds of Works as defences against centralisation, and attempts some definition of the character such Boards should have, and the powers they should exercise. As proposed by Sir F i). Bell, these Boards of Works would be somewhat similar to ' Provincial Councils deprived of thsir legislative, but retaining- their administrative, powers. He would give to these Boards the. administration of the land laws, and " confide to them the opening* up of the land for settlement, the management ot branch railways, main roads, and to give assistance to district works, and give them the land fund to administer." Doubtless, however, such a Board of Works, though it may be made as useful as circumstances will permit of, will be but a poor equivalent for that Provincial Councd of Utago which has hitherto stood between the people and the power of capital, has boldly confronted the pas. toral interest, and endeavored to utilise the great sheep runs for settlement, and has usually attempted to prevent the land of the province being swallowed up by land sharks. GOVERNMENT CLERKS. In a late number of the J Witness,' I observe a leading article, which, after discussing another altogether different subject, concludes with a most furious onslaught on .the poor tiovernmenr clerks of Wellington, in this style : — " There, are more ithings in London than departments and their subordi nates; but there is nothing else on earth iv Wellington, at Kirk or at market, but a legion of lazy clerks, who seem to live for nothing else but to give i-npertinence-to their masters. We sin- : cerely hope the electorate will think i upon these things." -What things?' Do tell. The other things in the article, the, things at London, or the clerks ? What have the. clerks, been or done to incur the terrible wrath, of the writer of the said arti-cle ?..: Lazy and imnudent, eh? I wonder whether : the writer knows or can produce any evidence that the '■. clerks, are either lazy or impudent; or whether he. merely hazards the accusation. Not improbably they are hardworking, civil 'fellows. Who are the masters referred to? The. public, I suppose.. Civil and courteous our Go vernmfiniofficials ought -to-be towards all members of the community— and I hope they-: are so. As to .the. rest, doubtless there are much more efficient ; ways find; paeans" : .'bf economising the i public cash than docking tbe salaries of a few7poorielerks, or ./Casting some of their number adrift, and obliging the jen-iainder ito-w'ork! like; mill" horses, or niggers among the cane brake.