CORRESPONDENCE

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 8934, 17 November 1890, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE

— ♦ [We are not responsible for the opinions expressed by correspondents. The writer's name, as a guarantee of pood faith, mast be enclosed in the letter.!

SIR H. ATKINSON'S "MANIFESTO."

TO IKB fiDKCrt Sir, — After reading Sir Harry Atkinson's address to the elector's of the Egmont District, I can see little in it to be truly thankful for; in fact, increased taxation looms in the near future. Should the public demand further reduction in Government expenditure, so as to lift the heavy burden of taxation the colony is now weighted with, then we must dispense with many advantages and conveniencies which we now eojoy, so says Sir Harry Atkinson and his henchman, the Hon. E. J. Mitchelson. Sir Harry says :—": — " On enteiing office we found a rapidly increasing deficit, with a falling revenue. Now the balance between revenue and expenditure has been restored." But, how, I would ask ? Certainly not by that strict economy, which in the address is said to be so absolutely necessary in the various Government departments, for we find if a reduction is made in the staff, the compensation is paid, and the recipient is rewarded by a fresh office. Mr Editor, the deficit has been made good by increased taxation, to wit: Primage Duty, increase of Property Tax and Customs, throwing on local bodies many of the charges hitherto paid or subsidised by the Government. Had less money been spent on useless fortifications and other Government fads, and more economy exercised in the Educational Department, the large increase in the Customs duties might have been dispensed with. I also observe mentioned in the address, that Sir Harry recommends that the colony should refrain from borrowing in the London market for some years, but when money is wanted, (and when is it not wanted by the Government), the loan could be negotiated in the colony, even if giving a higher interest. Capital was accumulating here and would want employ ment. The accumulation of unemployed capital in a young colony like New Zealand, I regard as anything but promising, as it shows that the owners of such capital are distrustful, and recent events (strikes) h ye greatly strengthened their disinclination to re-invest their moneys either in old or new industries, or even in agriculture, an industry that bears the greatest weight of the heavy taxation we are now experiencing. An industry that has never been fostered by the Government, barely recognised. Look at one branch of it — tho great dairying interest ; as regards Government assistance, it is in the position to-day as it stood 10 years ago— one Government expert for both islands ; no schools ; no itinerant teachers giving practical instruc-. tion in the remote country districts. The on'o j expert and tho issue of a few pamphlets constitutes the sum total of Government [ aid dairying has yet received from the New Zealand Government. No wonder, then, that Sir Harry says in his address that as a matter of public policy it might be wise and fair to make further exemptions in favour of the agricultural class, but is this really meant, or is Sir Hnrry only amusing himself as a good angler does when casting a fly, for he must not forget thattne address, or manifesto, as some call it, is an election speech issued by Sir Harry Atkinson to the electors of one of the largest agricultiual districts in the North Island (Egmont) -Sir H. A. Atkinson's own particular preserve. That any lessening of the conveniences and advantages we are now enjoying from the various Government Departments will take place, should it be found necessary to curtail even present expenditure, I very much doubt, an no Government would remain long in oilice who dared to tamper with the present efficiency of either the Railway, Telegraph, or Postal Department, for however much these departments might have been considered conveniences, or even by someas luxuries in o.clon times, modern civilisation and opinions deem them absolute necessaries, and extent!^ and not curtailment would bo imperatively demanded, That great relief could be given without detriment to a single Department by a ! more jutt and equitable redistribution of [ the iacicloQcs ol tuition, I atfiiw | »&4

Mr Gabriel Lewis, Auckland, who is well known in business circles, says: — "I would recommend those who suffer from this wretched complaint (sciatica) to use Renshaw's Monarch of Pain, as the properties therein contained must do good." — Advt.

why all allusion to such has been omitted in Sir Hurry's address I am unable to understand— the more so us a member of the Ministry (the Hon. E. J. Mitchelson) when speaking at Eden said the nat yes must now be taxed, but most naively remarked that the Government could not attend to it at the present time. Of course not ! Electioneering fully occupied their time That the natives enjoy tho rights and privileges of British subjects is shown by their returning members to the House of Representatives, as well as having seats in the Legislative Council, and their speeches as reported in Hansard bliow them fully equal, if not superior, both in language and argument to many of the European members. Why should the settlers be called on to pay a Property Tax, Harbour Rate, Hospital and Charitable Rato, County and Road Board Rates, and full payment for his neighbour's fence should his neighbour be a native, and that neighbour bo exempt from all the above mentioned taxation ? Is not this handicapping those that turn a wilderness into a garden ? and yet this has been going on for years, and no relief, however small, has ever been given to such by our paternal Government. Advice gratis is the sum total given by the State; even the Address' is full of it, for does not Sir Harry Atkinson conclude his written speech recommending courage, patience, economy, and self-reliance ? With these essentials our present difficulties would disappear and New Zealand become the home of milbons of happy people. A very pretty peroration, no doubt; but it will be many many years before New Zealand becomes the veritable Garden of Eden as sketched out by Sir H. Atkinson, I rather think, unless better and more economically governed. — I am, &c, W. K. Hulke.