TIIK M-:\V /!:.\liA>'!» A;;I-'- TOCK Ai'Y.

New Zealand Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1967, 7 May 1870, Page 6

TIIK M-:\V /!:.\liA>'!» A;;I-'-TOCK Ai'Y.

Mr. !•'. .' W AKi'.ri i:i.i> has written a 1. in,; letter to the \\',-n;,t : it.,n h, Ay- •> ■>• >'/. in repFv loan attack upm hims,-11, in which he exposes t ,ie cause ot' the evils from whicli the colony has suli'ered. and points out what appears to him as the remedy : — '• I acknowledge frankly that I do hope to pull things down which I believe to be hurtful to the progress of the colony, and to bear a hand in rearing edilices of :i more substantial and respectable nature. 1 should like, for instance, to see our ports, instead ot being closed against the trade of the world by protective duties, entirely tree from the obstruction and annoyance of Customs duties and delays. Of course 1 shall be asked how are yo.i to get a revenue sons to secure " peace, older, rind good government ''" I answer, by an income and property tax. As Clings stand now. a banking company or a monopolist of cheap land uses the country so to draw Irom it n large revenue, and yet keep up no more establishment to pay taxes on ex-

iseabl,. goods than the smallest farmer or iridesin.-i'i. 'I he banks lend money at a certain rate of interest to middle men. who speculate on making still heavier interest out of other people. What do they coniribule t > the revenue in proportion to wh..t tnevg'iiii from < Jovernment in safety for their usurious pursuit 'i A scion oftiie aTstociacv of birth, —which " Colonist" has forgotten to include in his catalogue. —enabbd runhoiders lo spot their holdin.s with cheap scrip, so as to prevent lor years the rearing of mankind ms'ead of sheep on some ot the richest hinds of the colony. Sheep trotting has failed. I'he scrip lender comes to see whether he had heller sell the borrower up. ..:• encourage him into the temporary salvation ol b ibng mutton into tail >w. Why should we not he inquisiloriul enough to ase riain the worth of his property in

ew Zealand, and how much it yields him on', of the permanent, earnings of permanent colonists j* Cnder the pr. sent system, such an aristocrat gives no more to the revenue than any poorer individual who may wear out shoe leather instead. of horse-flesh or carriage wheels. If the legislatures, both general and provincial, would hold out inducements to the increasing development of our mining, manufacturing, and conmnrcial resources, and. to the opening up of the country by cheap railways, it would be fair and reasonable to a»k workmen of all trades, and men with capital to employ them to come and assist, in carrying out the command of Almighty wisdom— " increase and multiply, and replenish the earth and subdue it!' While it is merely a sham aristocracy whicli wants cheap labor at shearing and lambing time, and despises it. al. other periods of trie year, it is doubtful whether an indiscriminate call to working men of all sorts to join us be

advisable. It appears to me that the flax industry, especially if extended to cultivating the best sorts instead of hall dressing the mere weeds of the swamp, will tend to remedy this state of things, by affording constant employment io ordinary workpeople ofboth sexes and all ages all the year round."