THE COLONIST PUBLISHED TUESDAYS, THUESDAYS, AND SATURDAYS. NELSON, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1875. Anniversary of the province.

Colonist, Volume XVII, Issue 1870, 2 February 1875, Page 3

THE COLONIST PUBLISHED TUESDAYS, THUESDAYS, AND SATURDAYS. NELSON, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1875. Anniversary of the province.

T T ia now thirty-four years since the pioneer ettlers arrived in the ships Will witch, Vhitby, and Fifeshire. At the time of j-jjeir coming, "Wellington was two years old, ! n d Auckland one, and Otago had not been founded. Therefore, as far as time is conerned, our Province has had as fair a chance of progressing as any. She has not done so however, but has lagged behind in the race, and the principal City in Otago—Dunedin— ff bichwas founded seven years after her, ha* now a population nearly five times as great. Auckland, Wellington, and Canterbury' too have gone ahead, but JNelson, w hose riches in the shape of gold, iron, coal, and timber are greater than any of them, has crept on at a snail's pace, and is now, after the lapse of so many years the most insignificant of all. Whose fault is this? Is it the fault of the people, or those who govern them ? Perhaps both have been to flame, the Government for not acting wisely, aD d the people for allowing them to do so. "We may hope, however, that before long Provincialism will be abolished, and when W ebave the General Government to look after our interests, Nelson will stand a chance of occupying that proud position that it is proper she should hold.