The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 1868.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 202, 24 March 1868, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 1868.

Amongst the many blessings to be hoped for, if not realised, in the next session of the General Assembly, is the utter and complete annihilation of Provincialism, with all its petty dignities and absurdities. Never was a system so wholly rotten and so entirely unfitted to the present circumstances of the colony, or more pertinaciously persisted in. Its champions are prepared to battle a Touirance, and the clumsy nuisance will require all the prowess of its assailants before it will be compelled to give up the ghost. That the decree has gone forth, and that its fate is sealed, is however, almost a matter of certainty, and should be of rejoicing for all who wish New Zealand well, for with it a.ll the burlesque Governments sanctioned by its existence are swept utterly away into the lumber of unforgotten things. There may have been times, and,indeed have been, wheu at least the system was endurable. In the early days, when the various centres of population were, so to speik, bound up in themselves, when Auckland was indifferent to Otago, when Canterbury did not know or ..-are what Wellington did, when the West Coast was a tabooed territory, and when intercourse between the dif-

forent provinces was amply met by coasting small craft, it perhaps was well to set up small sovereignties, as it were, and thereby allow the business of such to bo transacted without the necessity of reference to the seat of the General Government, at least as far as minor matters went. But late years have changed all that, and with the ilood of population, the development of goldfields, the colonisation of the West Coast and the consequent enormously increased importance of New Zealand a s a colony, a new regime is required; and firm, strong, and capable hands, required to take charge of the vessel of state. One real Government is worth fifty shams, and when we see Taranaki with its £BOOO per annum income, others with little more with their provincial administrations, when we find ambitious Southland in an actual and disgraceful state of insolvency, its railway plant seized, its public offices locked up to keep out the bailiffs, just because the people wanted to play at Government, surely every reasonable man will hail with joy any measure that will toll the knell of such things. Perhaps no parts of the colony have suffered more than the gold-producing districts through the present division of authority, for whilst the Assembly really should have held the reins they have been satisfied to transfer them to the Provincial Executive, whereas, in a vast number of instances, the goldfields would have been better served had they kept them. At present the General Assembly having authority in some departments, the Provincial in others, a sort of double officialdom is created, which is infinitely more expensive, as well as inefficient, than if they were all consolidated under one head. The duplicate machinery, as may be expected, works anything but harmoniously together, and the sooner one set is taken away the better. The maintenance of things as they are, will however be stoutly fought for, and the combatants on behalf of provincialism will fight the more desperately as they are in nine cases out of ten actuated by that most powerful of all motives, self-interest. On its downfall, just as many snug coteries as there are provinces will be broken up, and the power of patronage and preferment be taken out of many unwilling hands. There are "family parlies" in nearly every pr wince whose aim is to keep warm places for their own circle, and who, such an affinity existing, are careless when an office is vacant, whether the recipient is calculated properly to fulfil its duties or not. The round peg will fit the square hole or will wear down to it, and a friend, or a friend's friend, or a relation is provided for. There are scores of proofs of this down the whole of the West Coast, some cases indeed of the most glaring favoritism that only Provincialism would dare be guilty of. No doubt jobbery will ever be discernible in Governments of all kinds, but for barefaced and unblushing instances Provincial Executives distance all others. It is a fortunate circumstance that the West Coast is called to send members to the Assembly at this very juncture, when their services will be greatly needed, and if used properly will materially assist in bringing about a better state of things. We hope that the electors, when the candidates present themselves, will not allow any shirking of the question, but will clearly obtain from each their distinct views on the subject. The effects of provincialism, we may illustrate in a few instances. At present a digger at Cobden takes out a miner's right and crosses to the south side of the Grey. That right is valueless there, and he must pay another pound for a right in that district. He goes to Soath'a'id, another pound is required. Possibly he travels to Otago, another sovereign there. Pie takes ship to the Thames, another twenty shillings is wanted, and so on he must pay that amount in every province where he tries his luck. Were provincialism abolished one miner's right would run through the colony, as in the colonies of Australia. The same exactly applies to business,auctioneers', spirit, and other licenses ; the injustice of such extortion is evident, but it must continue as long as provincialism exists, as each province takes all this kind of revenue. It will be obvious that for a variety of reasons only, a few of which we have quoted, the sooner all petty governments are abolished the better for the well-being of New Zealand generally; and the goldfields community have now the power of letting their ideas on this subject be made known through their representatives. By substituting general for provincial governments, districts by no means lose local authority,but on the contrary through county councils, road boards, &c., actually gain far greater local powers, whether in the expenditure of money voted or in gathering funds for necessary public works within their respective bound-

aries. On this portion of our subject we shall have more to say at another time, and in the meanwhile would draw the special attention of electors to the consideration of the respective advantages to be gained undor a general or provincial government system.