Wellington Independent FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1871.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3318, 13 October 1871, Page 2

Wellington Independent FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 187 1.

We have much satisfaction in quoting from Hansard the following remarks made by the Hon. Mr "Watcrhouse on the Religious, Charitable, and Educational Trusts Bill, because they confirm what we have said in previous articles relntive to the necessity of creating an enlightened public opinion, because they boar on the important proposal of the Government to establish a Board of Works ; and because they prove the necessity of repealing the interprovin. cial postage on newspapers. Mr Waterhouse said—" The bill had been represented to the Council as being in accordance with similar legislation in the mother country ; but he would call the attention of hon members to the fact that the circumstances of the two countries were so different that legislation adapted to the one was not always adapted to the other. In England, a board that had somewhat similar powers to those proposed to be given by this bill undoubtedly existed, but it must be remembered that in England there existed a strong public opinion, represented by a powerful metropolitan Press, which circulated throughout the length and breadth of the land, which was pretty effectually brought to bear on the Government, and would prevent any great abuse on the part of the board. But in this colony they had no public opinion worthy of the name ; there was no metropolitan Press to watch over and protect public interests in remote localities, and therefore it was not desirable to entrust the board with the great powers that might safely be conferred upon it in England." The difference between the two countries, in this respect, cannot be too frequently insisted upon. It was only recently, when treating on the influence of public opinion, we took occasion to point out, in as forcible a manner as possible, how great and beneficial that influence had proved in the mother country in checking jobbery and corruption, and in purifying the atmosphere of the House of Commons. The remarks of Mr Waterhousc are also more or less applicable to the proposed Board of Works. The publicity of its proceedings will invite criticism, and prove to a certain extent unpleasant and inconvenient ; but it will be the best means of checking favoritism and creating amongst the members of the board that individual sense of responsibility which boards in their corporate capacity do not always feel. Such boards have been rightly termed " screens," their sayings and doings being carefully hidden from the public. The remarks of Mr Waterhouse are more especially applicable to the question of repealing the inlerprovincial postage on newspapers, as the best means of creating an enlightened public opinion, and of establishing a metropolitan Press. The remarks of Colonel Sankcy, the eminent engineer lately professionally employed by the Victorian Government, are equally to the purpose. He says — "In dealing with the question of remunerative public works undertaken by the State, it is impossible in a country with the popular form of government of Victoria to ignore the position occupied by the press. In this, as in other matters, everything depends on a thoroughly enlightened public opinion." The " Argus," in commenting on this passage, points out that to the success of remunerative public works something more is necessary than ;< thoroughly enlightened public opinion." This, it admits, is much, but not "everything." It remarks that an upright and capable administration is also required, and an independent Parliament, and highly trained and conscientious engineers. There can be no doubt that this is the case. Still, as a general rule, it may be pretty positively laid down that a .weak and dishonest administration, a corrupt and subservient Parliament, and incapable and unconscientious engineers, cannot long co-exist under a popular form of government, with a thorouglhy enlightened public opinion. This, then, is the one thing needed.

In Victoria, the postage on newspapers has been recently reduced to one halfpenny, on the ground of the educational value of the Press. If, it was urged, Government was justified in spending £180,000 per annum on the education of the children of Victoria, it would be far more justified in spending £15,000 on those children's parents. But all that can be urged in favor of the free postage of newspapers in Australia Gan be urged with much greater force in favor of the free postage of newspapers published and circulated within New Zealand. It will be discovered, perhaps, when too late, that it was owing to the physical character of the country, to its extensive lines of sea coasts, and to the mode in which it has been colonized, rather than to the existence of Provincial Governments, that so much disunion and local jealousies have arisen ; but now the seat of Government is centrally placed, it only requires the abolition of the postal tax on newspapers circulated within the colony to weld, by the aid of electricity, the scattered districts of JSlew Zealand into one homogeneous whole, and to create that national public opinion which is so indispensably necessary. The Melbourne " Telegraph," in referring to the repeal of the postage fee on ■newspapers, says " that that journal would go to numbers of bush settlers by post, no doubt ; and as these men get no railway advantages, no mechanics' institutes, no public libraries, why should they be grudged so small and yet so great a compensation ? Free postage would increase the circulation

of the Press. That we admit. It would increase also its influence and its resoutces, but it is the public who would reap the advantage in larger sheets and fuller telegrams, and, above all, a higher class of writing ; and— let hon members relish the delicious idea — better reports. Competition would inevitably lead to all this." It points out that when the penny fee was first charged on the papers published in New South Wales, the Post Office revenue gained £15,000 in the year, and that the telegraph department lose an equal amount. Thus what was gained in one branch of the service was lost in the other. In order to improve the tone of the Press, to expand the ideas of its conductors, to obliterate provincial jealousies, to create an enlightened public opinion, and to facilitate an interchange of thought, we trust that the Government will yet see its way to repeal, not the postage on all newspapers, but the postage on such newspapers as are published and circulated within the colony. We are persuaded that the reduction of the postage to a halfpenny would not diminish the revenue, but even that charge would defeat the objects for which we have been contending.