"CASR-IRON."

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4297, 21 August 1875, Page 1 (Supplement)

"CASR-IRON."

To the Editor of the Hekald. Sir, —Suppose we had four provinces— chief centres—with the same powers as now. Suppose a federal Senate of twenty members to meet once a-year, -for one month, say at Wellington. Suppose the present General Government and civil service cost to be reduced more than one-half. Suppose, as in all other countries, we had but one c«mmon purse for land revenue and Customs. Suppose Auckland received, as her share, at least £200,000 per annum for performing all the real functions of Government within her bounds. Suppose all financial matters to be as much as possible—"cast-iron." Suppose each of the four provinces to receive its " cast-iron," quota of revenue; for it is just as easy to calculate a provincial quota as it is to fix the payments made to each shareholder by any joint-stock company, where dividends are paid without any grabbing, because all is fixed—"cast-iron," —no jobbery, corruption, or injustice ; the weakest or strongest, each gets his fair proportion quietly, without begging or any unseemly conduct. Suppose the same " cast-iron" rule to hold good all dosvn the scale, through every country, town, or Road Board; No internecine wars would then take place (aa in Ponsonby, where the south-west part of the district has beaten in number of votes the north-east side, the winners spend all the money, and the losers are left out in the cold). All moneys would be distributed fairly according to fixed rules, by sworn valuers or accountants ; if one year a part of a district should receive more than its share to complete a necessary work, the next year it Bhould submit to an equivalent deduction. Suppose all this, and admitting that the country must be governed and that money must be found for the purpose, what more economical or more satisfactory Government could we have ? The present outcry is raised against the poverty of provinces, the unfair distribution to the out-districts, and the scrambling for money at Wellington. The proposal does away with all these objections ; out-districts wouldreceive more than the present bribe held out to them for the foolish surrender of their liberties and privileges, peace and decorum would reign, local jealonaies would cease, the wire-puller and political jobbers, and corrupt occupation would be gone, displaced by a " cast-iron" system of finance. We should have four properly-appointed tribunes (Superintendents) instead of despotic satraps sent from Wellington to rule outlying dependencies. It may be safely asserted that the provinces have been driven into embarrassments by the powerful ruling party at present, who detest free and popular Government. Suppose conscientious, fair, and honorable men like Sir George Grey or Mr. O'Rorke had been for the last five years at the head of affairs, would " the country be in the mess" Sir J. Vogel admits it is in ? or would Wellington pass for a sink of corruption ? Suppose the General Government is now ablo and has not the time to do the work imposed on it, how will it accomplish an addition of ten times more, on abolishing the provinces ? And what will the expenses reach when, even now —horrible to'relate—the Wellington Government' army ef martyrs number more than 1700, and cost £599,563 per annum? Suppose all taxes and remissions, or other privileges, had been always made uniform, fair, general, and equal, and no preference had ever been given by any regulation of the Assembly to one district over another. Suppose we always got our fair proportion of the public revenues, a3 a right, and there was neither favour nor affection in the granting or withholding the public moneys. Suppose the North received at least ten more members, as iB right, on account of her large native population of 70,000. Are the Government aware that, at the foundation of the American Union, the Southern States obtained the right of counting their slaves as a part of their population in Si questions about the number of their representatives ? As nimple justice, we have been always entitled to count the natives. But our politicians aimed at keeping the balance af power in favour of the South. Sir Robert Peel, Mr. Gladstone, and many eminent statesmen have "turned their coats," so that it iB quite fit for Mr. Reader Wood, or iny other man, to shew bis sense by changing iiis opinions; indeed, it is only the pigheaded who are not of the idea that it is jetter to be right to-day than consistent with yesterday. £3,877,696 of the loan still remains to be spent. How much of thai; [considering our one-fifth contribution to ;axes, and how we have been swindled in the past) would honest accountants say we ire entitled to in this province ?—I am, &c., Cromwell.