The Lyttelton Times. FRIDAY, MAY 18, 1866.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1691, 18 May 1866, Page 2

The Lyttelton Times. FRIDAY, MAY 18, 1866.

The one great danger of provincialism is that it is apt to develope each province into a miniature England, The dear old mother country, on turning her affectionate regards to her young colony of New Zealand, and expecting to see her own comely visage reflected as in a mirror, finds instead eight or nine diminutive images, reproduced as in the facets of a decanter-stopper, all very like but very insignificant. This is specially seen in the aping of constitutional forms, and in their multiplication to a degree far beyond the wants of the settlements. We do not for a moment wish to object to this, so long as it is confined merely to the manifestation of that fitness for official life which lies latent in so many colonial minds. We by no means object to it. It has its uses. Let us repeat, if we choose, the proportions of the German Prince's grand army—three privates, a corporal, a sergeant, a captiin, and a colonel, with general officers adlibitum. Let every one have his place and his title, down to Mr. Commissioner Lamplighter. But there is one limitation on which we must insist;—we object to the salaries. The coat per head for governing the 30,000 inhabitants of Canterbury (we omit the West Coast) which would make the tax-'r'idden populations of Europe stand aghast. _ The eve of a general election is the time for the general public to make its opinions on this subject felt, and take pledges from those who are to govern, that they will not overlook it. The occasion is peculiarly fitting on another account. We are, to all appearance, experiencing the dawn of a new day of prosperity, and leaving behind the gloom and de pression under which so many stumbled and so many fell The rapid and unvarying progress which marked the history of the province for several years led both the people and the

Government into mauy grievous faults, Chief among these we reckon the multiplication of offices, and the increase ot subordinate officials in every department. It Beemed as if the Government Buildings possessed the same power as railways are said to have, of creating traffic lor themselves.. But the absurdity soon became apparent; and every one has long felt that the grand pile of buildings in Durham street is too big for us. In fact, the discovery lias been made that it is but a small proportion of that business on which the prosperity of Canterbury depends that is dispatched in the Government offices. There are single mercantile firms in Christchurch which transact far more business and pass far more money through their hands in the course of twelve months, than all the Government officials put together. It might not be an unprofitable investigation to compute the probable cost at which such firms transact their business, if that could be ascertained, and to compare it with the Government departmental expenditure. After making liberal allowance for the purely political charges connected with the Superintendent, Secretary, and Provincial Council, the balance of extravagance would still remain, and that to a most unreasonable extent, with the public offices. Even without the computation, any one may satisfy himself of this, by marking the contrast between the buildings the managers and the servants. We will hazard the assertion that, with the exception of the "Waste Lands Board and the Education Board, there is not a department in which the number of officials and the expenditure might not be reduced by one half.

We write, not in the interest of any party, but in those of the whole community. We question even how far our statements may be palatable to any of the candidates for the Superintendency, and we have not taken the trouble to enquire. But there is no doubt but the subject of Eetreachment has taken hold of the public mind, and that it will be forced upon the consideration of every one who asks the suffrages of his fellow citizens. It is worthy of a note how very quietly the present Executive has extinguished one ofthe offices it had called into existence, and, in deference to the known feelings of the public, merged the Secretaryship for Public Works in the Provincial Secretaryship, of which it had previously formed a part. The gentleman who has for the time undertaken the combined work is one whom we believe to be perfectly competent for the task, who would make a most useful and acceptable Secretary under a new regime, and who is not chargeable with the separation of offices which existed before he joined the Executive. Bnt we cannot avoid calling attention to the fact that, in the policy sketched out by Mr. Lance, retrenchment has no place. The idea may yet be forced upon him; but it is no spontaneous conviction of his own mind. Mr. Travers has set before us a brilliant and dashing scheme of vast land-sales, extensive public works, and universal speculation. Of course retrenchment and economy cannot be looked upon with favour by the man who bids us venture our all on the hazard of the die, and stand between even chances of a splendid fortune or a big smash. It was with some satisfaction that we found Mr. Moorhouse recognise in his last address at Papanui the necessity for retrenchment, and instance some cases in which it might be effected. But the public will demand something more than a mere return to the state of things which existed when he was last in office. The experience of the last two years has had a sobering effect upon the expectations of the entire community; and what is wanted now is a due combination of energy in developing the natural resources of the province with caution and economy in the expenditure of its funds.