CORRESPONDENCE.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XVII, Issue 6047, 11 April 1888, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

Our correspondents are tree, and wo do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions they express. Letters must invariably be accompanied by the name and address of the writers, not for publication but for verification. We canuot undertake to return unused manuscript.)

THE ABOLITION OF PROVINCES

(To the Editor.)

. Sir,—For the information of new chuiiis, you have in a leader of the 9ih inst. administered a enstigatiou to Dr Hodgkinson, for endeavoring to show that the " Abolition of Provinces Act" has not conferred on the population of N:?w Zealand the unmixed 'jlessings which its author and abettors promised, and in doing so, like a special pleader, you cannot sufficiently condemn the ahortcominea of provincial administrations ■or snfficientlys toilobber with kudos, the workings of County institutions. Whilst on behalf of the central government, you contend that although they may be guilty of burglary, nr homicide, they are oot so bad as others who have perpetrated highway robbery, or wilful murder. May Ibeir the indulgence (for the sake of those who have not been long enough in Now Zealand) to be allowed a word or two on the other eide. A careful consideration of every system of Government which lias obtained trial in New Zealand 6ince 1847, has led to the conclusion that Dr Hodgkin Bon's indictment i*s quoted by you, is not by any means too strong, or sweeping, and, from the• reported speeches of that gentleman, I am convinced tnat he would

not usb denunciations for which he hud not the necessary data,

I am no apologist for the laches of the various provincial governments, but to p:etend that thei.' vices have not been imported into the County system in nn intensified degree will not obtain'credence from an impartial thinker. You will look in vain through provincial records for n parallel to the- one man government, which some of the County Councils exhibit. la which of the provinces. have you evar known ro gross a misrepresentation as the Waiotahi Hiding has displayed for the last twelve years ? In their wildest vagaries have you ever known a Pioviucial Council to vote £1800 per annum to its superintendent? I cannot temperately discuss the relative amount of useful work performed by the Councils as against that completed by District Boards. In this caso comparisons would bo odious, but I feel certain that your estimate of County usefulness will not be endorsed by the majority of landowners throughout the colony, and after all il is the freeholders who must bear Iho brunt in paying off the colonial indebtedness, I am quite aware that differences of opinion exist, and it would be presumption to say which may be called orthodox —for instance the draft of the Counties Act cost £750. and Mr, (now Sir P.) Whitnker said it would have been cheap at £1000, whik the late Mr Sheehan valued the work at a pair of scissors, and a bottle of paste my own views being [that the latter wos even too high, itiasmuoh as it was altogether unnecessary The Act under which the District Boards were constituted (with slight amend mentß suggested by Mr Allom) being more suitable to country districts.—l am, etc., Fair Play.