The Opunake Times. FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 1896. TARANAKI ELECTORATE.

Opunake Times, Volume V, Issue 207, 28 August 1896, Page 2

The Opunake Times. FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 1896. TARANAKI ELECTORATE.

Mb Henby Bbown in his address to the electors of Taranaki places before them a very sound programme. There is nothing sensational or revolutionary in it, but it abounds with common sense, which is a very scarce commodity amongst politicians of the present day. Usually when a man decides to enter the political arena he thinks it necessary to rack his brains, if he has any ; or in default of brains to read up some of the latest fads, which are invented by theorists to cure all political ills to which suffering humanity is heir. The plain unvarnished truth is not considered sufficient. Politics are not conducted on sound business lines, which should be the ruling factor, but are subjected to all kinds of emotionalism and sensationalism. The result is that the business rule of making ends meet is forgotten and the expenditure abnormally increased, thereby necessitating further taxation. This perfervid state of the political atmosphere is what keeps solid sensible men from offering their services, and has thrown our legislature into the hands of a hungry band of political adventurers whose stake in the country, political principles, and interests can be packed on the shortest notice into a bandbox, marked and addressed LIBERAL and deported anywhere. Mr Brown’s cardinal point is to make expenditure come withia income. This is what the colony wants. The reverse has been the policy in vogue for the past six years, during which time expenditure has gone o i increasing and the sole effort has been to make the income keep pace with it. As there is only one place for income to come from, viz., the taxpayers pockets, this r.ckless policy has resulted in increasing the taxation on all sides. He is ajrinst further borrowing, except so far as it may be required for the purpose of opening up the country by means of roads and bridges. He opposes further indebtedness for what he truly describes “ the luxury of experimental legislation,” or entering into competition with private individuals in commercial enterprises. He is sound on the question of obtaining relief for the harbor ratepayers on the lines so strenuously fought for by Mr McGuire. He is a freetrader, and advocates all possible restrictions being removed, only levying customs for absolutely necessary revenue, and then as far as possible on luxuries only. He is in favor of free choice of tenure being allowed to land selectors, and is a firm believer in freehold tenure. In this he is at one with every man in the colony who occupies land. Each individual is a sound believer in freehold tenure for himself, but is quite willing to have restrictions or faddist land legislation enacted for bis neighbors. We do not believe there is one leaseholder to be found who if ho had the means and opportunity would not convert his leasehold into a freehold. Create freeholds and you create a nation. He is opposed to manhood suffrage being applied to local bodies as is proposed by the present Government. If this measure should become law, and a man holding two hundred acres of land should employ two farm bands ; these two would be able to outvote their employer in Road Board or County Council elections in the return of members. This may bo alright, but wo think that the landowners would look at it in quite a different light if put to them individually. Mr Brown intends taking an early opportunity of addressing the electors at the various centres, and placing his views more fully before the people.