The Feilding Star. Published Daily. TUESDAY, NOV. 14, 1893. THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 117, 15 November 1893, Page 2

The Feilding Star. Published Daily. TUESDAY, NOV. 14, 1893. THE GENERAL ELECTION.

The interest in the forthcoming gene' ral election is becoming intensified with the near approach of the day of polling. The points at issue between the political parties are not very clearly defined, but we may take it, judging by the experience of the last three years, that the election of candidates who profess to be followers of the present Ministry will mean more colonial indebtedness, and consequently increased taxation. We are quite aware tbat the Ministry point with a a bold hand to what they are pleased to call the marvellous prosperity of the colony, and to claim that their Solicy ie the cause of it. Well, we eny that the colony is prosperous, and defy anyone to proye it on arguments deduced from commercial principles. Business people in the great centres of population are all complaining of the want of elasticity in trade, and are also reducing the numbers of their employes, whioh is a stern proof ot the accuracy of their statement. Of course the frozen meat trade, which is paralysed in this part of the country just now, has done an immense amount of good; in fact, saved the colony from bankruptcy, but that industry was started years ago, before .the present Liberal party was ever thought of, and, besides, the frozen meat trade owes not one farthing to any government for its success, as that has been owing to the enterprise of the aheepfarmers and shipowners, and to them alone. The dairy factories now being established are doing much good, and have given a cortaia impetus to trade we admit, but in point of fact no real benefit has yet been derived because, so far, no returns have been received, at least to any appreciable extent, on tbe capital invested in dairy stock and factories. What ever prosperity the colony has yet to experience from this source is conseqiiently still in the future. We may assume, then, that to help the colony out of her difficulties in finance, which exist but which are clouded over with a mass of deceptive figures, we should elect men who are opposed to the present Ministry, whose finanoial policy has been one of extravagant mismanagement and falsification, in order to secure economy of adm^iistration and diminution of taxation on the necessaries of life.