The Oamaru Times, AND WAITAKI REPORTER. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1866.

North Otago Times, Volume VII, Issue 157, 23 November 1866, Page 2

The Oamaru Times, AND WAITAKI REPORTER. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1866.

It gratifies us very much to observe that our proposal to organise an Association for the protection of the interests of outlying districts has aroused the attention and antagonism of Dunedin ; and all the more when we note the effort which is being made to impart to the movement a coloring which it was never intended to wear. It is assailed in anything but a straightforward manner; a sure indication of weakness. The " Daily Times," in its issue of the 17th inst., is severe in its strictures on an article which appeared recently in our columns. In that article we deplored the excessive cost of provincialism, and advocated, as preferable, the establishment of municipal government, suggesting at same time that, as the ultraprovmcialists were already up in arms and striving for an increase of provincial powers, outlying districts should combine in opposing the movement. Not one word was advanced regarding any theoretical scheme of Separation, or any other of the large questions now affecting the Colony. Our object, pur et simple, was to obtain increased attention to the interests of districts situated as this as,

believing that under the present system they are far from being in a satisfactory condition, and that under the proposed enlargement of provincial powers, their grievances would be increased tenfold. Any one possessing common acumen will perceive that the two subjects differ as night does from day, but at the same time the fact was not overlooked by us that the establishment of municipal government as a substitute for provincialism would be a bold stroke at the root of much of our present difficulty, and would pave the way for the more successful colonisation of the country, and promote generally the prosperity of the settlers in outlying districts as well as in towns in a way that under the present regime cannot be hoped for. We foresaw too that the present deplorable state of anarchy into which the entire Colony has been gradually drawn or driven by the provincial system should be speedily brought to an end, believing that genuine prosperity never can and never will attend us so long as these petty governments are permitted to constantly hamper or thwart the General Government of the Colony. But the chief idea in our mind, as we have said, was to incite outlying districts to the protection of their interests from the aggrandizing policy of the capitals of Provinces. With this view, we invited the co-operation of the other districts in the Province, and not only of this but of all the other Provinces. Now, here occurs the primary j'aux 2ias of our contemporary. He states that Oamaru set3 her face against the rest of the Province ; whereas she seeks the co-operation of the outlying districts — not of Dunedin certainly, for that she cannot well hope for. She opposes, however, the Duuediu idea of the " rest of the Province," which means Dunedin alone, as is now very well known. Our contemporary is perfectly accurate in his assumption if this be the inference he wishes to be drawn from his statement. If he, for once, meant more, we can assure him that Oamaru has every encouragement to look for the co-operation of the outlying districts of this Province in the cause she has so much at heart. Every day their sentiments are becoming more plain ; in fact, more than one already fully endorse the views advocated by us. But the want of perspicacity on the part of our contemporary, again referring to the gist of our article, is a bagatelle so far as we are concerned. That is wholly is own affair ; what we demur to emphatically is that our statements or feelings, or those of the Oamaru people, should be so misrepresented. It may be said — what of that ? what harm is there in it? We reply, there is every harm, just as there is in the promulgation of any idle story not strictly true. The " Daily Times " strives hard, per Jas*it nefas, to show that we believe in the establishment of Municipal Government as the panacea for all the difficulties pressing upon the Colony. As we have shown, nothing was further from our thoughts. We distinctly averred that " until the great question of Provincialism v. Municipal Districts is settled, there can be no hope of a satisfactory adjustment of affairs ;" not, as our contemporary attempts to make out, that the establishment of the latter would be in itself the grand remedy. It is difficult to see how such a clear statement should be unintentionally misconstrued. And none know better than our contemporary that our present Provincial mismanagement, Provincial misrule, is a spectacle to be wondered at at home and abroad. Nothing has yet been advanced by the opponents of the movement we recommend, showing that sueli action would not conduce to the weal of the Colony generally, and we hope, therefore, that it will not be overlooked. We are certain that other districts only wait being asked to join issue with us.