The Manawatu Standard PUBLISHED DAILY. Survant la verites FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 1883. OUR DEBT AND TAXATION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 3, Issue 53, 26 January 1883, Page 2

Manawatu Standard PUBLISHED DAILY. Survant la verites FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 1883. OUR DEBT AND TAXATION.

The Freeman's Journal, m a paragraph profe'cedly written to thank the M mister of Public Works for certain statements made, is very severe on that gentleman's colleagues. ;It says : — " To Mr Walter Johnston belongs the credit of putting oar financial position clearly before us. He did so at Grey* month at Christmas. Mr Db Lautour asked the Colonial Treasurer to do so last session ; but he may as well hare expected culture or generosity from the Native Minister as truth from the Colonial Treasurer. But perhaps Major Atkinson did not know what Mr Johnston told the Grey mouth, people. This is the far more charitable suppose tion. Half~a«million of us pay a yearly tribute, Mr Johnston says, of three millions on our public and private debts. That is, six pounds per soul to th« foreign money-lender. And then we are told that more than one»tbird of our exports do not belong to us. ' Absentee , proprietors draw more than two mil* lions' worth of wool from New Zealand sheep. Mr Walter Johnston is a merchant as well as a Minister, and knows very well whaVhe talks about. There is no duty on wool, and yet Major Atkinson says the incideuce of taxation is fair. It used to be the rule of life, It was said, m the Church of England settlement for the public men there, your Halls and Rollestons and others, * To 'flatter the. rich, oppress the poor, and pray to their God to help them.' This seems the policy of the continuous Ministry, always omittinj the prayers. We are none the less tbanktul, however, to Mr Johnston." |If Messrs Brtoe and Atkinson read the Freeman's Journal, they will! doubtless severally appreciate the delicacy of the reference to " culture or generosity and truth."