A MAORI MEMBER. ON THE FINANCIAL- PROPOSALS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1076, 23 July 1880, Page 2

A MAORI MEMBER . ON THE FINANCIAL- PROPOSALS.

' The Mabries fire not great speakers in \ the House, -but they rarely take pdssesiqn of the floor without displaying in a quaint way a great amojint of .shrewdness and common sense. Unlike the majority of 'the* European members, very few words suffice them, and they prefer giving their .vote to airing their eloquence. Last * week; Major Te Wheoro spoke upon the all-absorbing question before the House, and we give his speech at length as a specimen of native sagacity atxd hum0r.,.,,. He said:— Mr. Speaker, — I wish to say"a few words ! on the debate which is now going on. There have been some matters discussed ref erring' ;j tt> ; 'the- natives, therefore I think I ought to say a few words^about them. Although the members have already gone fully into the debate, still I should like to have a few words to say about it. I think that many speakers have confined themselves to party strife, but still I have seen some of the Government supporters differing from the Government on- some points in their bills. I expect,' however, when they come to the vote they will not consider what their opinions are, but that they will support their side. (Laughter.) There are tw# sheadings upon which I must speak this evening- — one is the depression which is . caused by reckless spending of irioAey ; Sle other is fcke weight, of taxation which is falling upon the people. They are both w.eighty<r matterSj know which, has tobe considered first. I ihirik we should be careful, and not to tax the people too heavily, for it is. they. who. are to support the colony. If 'ybu fex'theni'too heavHy a great many of them will leave this I colony and go to other colonies^, and "fhere.will then be so much taxation gone from 1 here: ■ I ftiihE you should begin gradually and teach the people* to-^ftl^, rjaxation, by; imposing it lightly at^ first, and then/ when they have got u^fefd/tp that, you can tax them a little further. ,1 agree .with the-hon. member for Port Chalmers, that r we should put a stop to all fur ter* loans, if not we shall have to be iaxedlheavier than now, and who is to know that we shall benefit by it ! Most likely there will be as much recklessness as formerly, and it will be too late for this House to say then it was not right : to f bojgr.aw,. as the money will be spent, and we shall Have to bear taxation'. I think a great deal of money has "been spent^by each successive Government giving efnploynient to" their successive supporters, and asjeach Ministry comes in they give their supporters employment,, while the original ones stand still ; anot they only have the same work to do, although you increase the number of persons to do it. . When the Government hay.e.to spend money? they should do it* as. a private individual •does — say a,/ farmer who ' ploughs, sows see'ds, antf ge?s a return for his money. For instance there are some natives who are detained in- prison on the West Ooast. There is a great " deal *of money being spent on them, andwe have no returns -from : them' ' - Since then we have seen a lot of soldiers on the coast, and there is a dea'l of "money being spent on them, and we have no returns from them They are, there looking for a swamp- I don't know whetheE-.it is the Piako swamp or 'not; -There is.no use in this, for Te Whiti is perfectly ; quiet. ...The native warrior wound up with the rec6- * mmendation to spend no . njore money upon railways, and an eXpjßs'S&h? $f opinion that the modification; of the Property Tax was "was only a statement to pacify the people." : '' '