THE BLOCK VOTE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1666, 19 September 1887, Page 3

THE BLOCK VOTE.

TO THE EDITOB. Sir, — As I am a regular reader of your paper, I have consequently read a good deal about the Catholic and also the Temperance block vote. As I understand it, they are supposed to vote to a man for one candidate- Who can tell this? I absolutely decline to believe that there, •ver was a block vote on these lines. During the present election I have met Catholics who nave told me that they would support Mr Walker. I haye also come m contact with others who said they would support Mr Purnell. Sir, I respect the man who has the courage of his opinion, although he is opposed to me m | politics. It seems a pity that your Valuable apace should be taken up with ■ucfe letters as those of "Magnum Bonum," " Presbyterian," and" Justice." If I am allowed to use the term to those epistles I would call it " ink-Blinging." But after all it is only electioneering, and Bo doubt each side think they are doing well for their man Let as hope that both sides will throw up the sponge m reference to this block vote controversy, and fight m this campaign on fair principles ; for it it not a question m this eleolion of men, but measures, viz., taxation or retrench tnent Sir, I»m one of those m favor of retrenchment, believing that sooner or later it must come to that. The Customs Duties Bill, upon which the late Government were defeated, was a measure to Increase taxation, the Ministerial sop being that by passing it they would have been enabled to foster lecal industries. I ▼future to say that it would be more likely to take the spare cash out of the working-man's pocket to help to keep no the present expensive style of administration. Bnt am I wrong? Did not Sir Julius Yogel say at Papanui that since he took office m IPB4, he bad worked twelve hours a day. If this is so the laborer is wcrthy of his hire. Sir Julius quoted figures there to show the duties since 1860 —by his table we have been paying less Kr bead per year since he took office than fore. Sir, let ub look at this question from thiß point " Who ore the bulk of taxpayers to the customs?" Is it rot the working classes ? How do they fare ? Are they fully employed? I maintain * they are not ; and is it not a fact that wages are lower cow than they were three years ago. Consequently they have not got so much money to purchase the necessaries of life ; thun they have to try their hands at retrenchment, and consequently contribute less to the revenue Just let any sceptic ask them, and very often the answer will be, we want a job, but cannot get one, and when we do get one we get little or nothing for it. What did Mr Buxton say — 10s a week was what one man was willing to work for, and conld hardly get work at that. It is ira possible under those circumstances that the revenue can be co high per head as formerly. The late Government finding this tried to squeeze it out of the people, but defeat was their lot. But a better state of affairs is at hand, my boys. Vote for retrenchment. Put m a Government who will start at the top of the tree, and who will, I hope, repeal tho Civil Service Reform Bill. That was tho retrenchment the late Government gave us. Electors, you have a golden opportunity at hand — the ballot box. In the meantime enroll yourselves m the retrenchment brigade, and give a block vote. Sui Jorb.