THE EVENING MAIL. MONDAY APRIL 9, 1877.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 299, 9 April 1877, Page 2

THE EVENING MAIL.

MONDAY APRIL 9, 1877.

WurtlX at* tMnsv ami a of ink felKnsj t»|*>n» • thowiflis nv\.y prM-luce Ctuit whitfi mate ttioui.ums | think." L

Wuen the Abolition Policy was before the Genera! Assembly, lts supporters were load tn their proclamations of the amount of good that would spring from it by giving localwatton of administration. The Colony was promised every kind of advantage if the measure was passed. The old principle of centralising the administration of the affairs of tiie different Provinces in. one town was to be done away with, and everything of a local nature was to be left to local bodies to carry out. central legislation and .local admiaistra-

tion was the cry of the Abolitionists. In vain was it pointed out that the doing away with Provincial institutions would have the effect of centralising the whole work of carrying on the affairs of the Colony. The Abolition party poohpoohed the idea, and boldly asserted that the abolition of Provincialism would have the very opposite effect. " Centralism," said the Abolitionists, u is the very last thing we would think of attempting to obtain. We wish to give every part of the Colony the power to manage its own affairs." In this manner a majority of the House was cajoled into passing into law this so-called anti-centralising policy. What, we would ask, has been the result ? Why, we have centralism of the very worst type—centralism seasoned with a goodly sprinkling of the prefect system of government. Nothing now can be done without waiting for instructions from head - quarters at Wellington. No matter how urgent the business may be, the pleasure of a paternal Central Govfininent must be waited for and obtained I before anything can be done. A shipload of | Chinese arrive at Port Chalmers, having I amongst them that most terrible scourge, small pox, and the most prompt and decisive steps are required to be taken ; instructions must be waited for from the Central Government. Can the force of folly further go? It seems it can; indeed there seems to be no end to the folly of the Centra! Government. The latest instance of the folly of the Ministry readies us from Dunedin —a city which appears to have especially incurred the displeasure of the present Ministry, poss bly in c .nsequeiieo of it being repres utv.it l>y three fctrong Oppositionists. If we arc to believe the statement of our Dumdiu correspondent —and we have no r.asoii for not so doing—tiie Government s.-ein bent upon making their policy one .»f very d. cided cjntralUation. According to our correspondent, the Otago Provincial records belonging to the Lands, Survey, and Public Works Departments are being sent oil' to Wellington. Tiie inconveniences that will arise are almost incilcul.it»l,\ In future should any Road Board or other governing bo.lj* or private individual require any inform .it ion they will be compelled to apply to the Government at Wellington for it. Tncy will I.ave to put up, not only with the delay necessary in the transmission of their requests ami the return of the replies, but with the ainovanee of waiting upon the pleasure of tiie Government. This is , Central s:n with a vengeance, and goes to .show what amount of faith is to be placed in tiie professed desire of the Ministry to make tiie machinery of Government simple. What next —and what next I