THE LABOUR AND LIBERAL ASSOCIATION AND MUNICIPAL REFORM.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 53, 4 March 1901, Page 2

THE LABOUR AND LIBERAL ASSOCIATION AND MUNICIPAL REFORM.

(To the Editor.) ~ : - Sir,—What a fiasco the meeting calledI??, " the Association. must have been, whe*V ;'. after two or three preliminary meetings,; they call the public together, to .iieat ■ speeches from some of their ablest men,,; and then only haye the satisfaction1 of,- ; ' talking to an audience which your reporter, in the goodness o£ his heart (so, noticeable in such men), puts down;,at forty. How many less than that wefe _ present we must leave to the gentjemen ;, present to determine, but I think; the >, paucity of the attendance should satisfy these great Liberal leaders that the ptitbUa ■ are about tired of them. I should ijfS h to examine the schemes put forwardliy them and throw what little light I can upon them, but as .this.. will make.tWH ! letter too. long ff must reserve it for^a future issue, contenting myself on tW' occasion with just one or two statemeiJts put forth by Mr Cheal, he declaring Jftat, the ratepayers would not conse.nt to loans, being afraid of increased rates. This i 8 scarcely true. I believe the people of, , are quite willing to pay"increased rates if it can be shown that the^.i* ' an absolute need for them; but the trouble for years past has been! under-va,lu.a,tiQßt r and until we ear. get that fairly, adjuster} ;! we have not tho right to raise them be-,_. yond the present 2/3J in the pound.; iO some of those who advocate the increase;-: of the rates would talk less and Woj* hard enough to acquire a little propertyf,\ for themselves, instead or living i*> rent-' ed houses all their lives, they would not be so eager to increase the burdens wWeJu are altogether too ieavy now upphcth? toilers in our midst. We are told that-W?,-should raise loans for water and dralijafß< ' Surely Mr Cheal ought to know that both . these niatters are provided for in the loan now being raised ami spent; but pertias he is not aware of this fact. The trouble ; to-day is that so few of those who sftak upon such subjects know so little abftut them that, instead of guiding the people., to, a correct conclusion, they simply' Blls:, . lead .them.-^-l am, etc.; RATEPAYER NO.'i,'