NORTHLAND’S CLAIMS

Northern Advocate, 8 June 1936, Page 4

NORTHLAND’S CLAIMS

The proposal that Northland should be constituted a separate administration entity, independent of the. Auckland Province, and bearing its own distinctive name, has aroused much interest. It is generally recognised that the time is long past when the greater portion of the peninsula north of Auckland City should be officially regarded as a separate and distinct province, instead of being portion of Auckland Province. The establishment of Government offices in this .territory—• Chief Post Office, Supreme Court, Education Board, Deeds and Survey Office, etc. —must take place sooner or later. That is officially admitted, but more than tacit agreement is required; Northland, with over 60,000 people, and an acreage exceeding that of some other provinces which possess all the Government offices to which we have referred, may justly claim that the desired, benefits should be conferred now. There is no justification for continuance of a state of affairs which loads the people of the territory with unnecessary expense. A correspondent, writing to the “Advocate” today, draws attention very forcibly to this aspect of the question. He emphasises the unnecessary cost' and inconvenience imposed on the people of Northland through being compelled to transact in Auckland business concerned with Government departments, such as Su-1 preme Court, deeds, surveys, valuations, etc. He points out that! money spent on travelling to j Auckland and in staying there, is lost to Northland, for the sim-j pie reason that it does not come j back. It is a case of one-way i trade. There will probably be-| heard the argument that the es-1 tablishment of Government offices in Northland would be too costly, j but we think it may he pointed | out fairly that Northlanders have I been paying far more than they should have paid during .the past twenty-five years or more as a j result of the concentration of Government offices in Auckland. '■

j They should not be asked to conjtinue to do so. Northland has i grown to man’s estate and has ■ right on its side when it demands ! the administrative facilities enI joyed by other parts of the Do- ■ minion with less justification for | them. The people of Northland j are probably to blame for not : having taken action sooner, but, I now that the matter has been | taken up, they should solidly support the campaign, i “