THE POLITICAL PROBLEM

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13394, 18 September 1907, Page 5

THE POLITICAL PROBLEM

—. —. — «s&, GRADUATED TAX AND LAND. THE HAND OF LABOUR. Special—By Telegraph.

WELLINGTON, September 17.

The member for BLutt, in scanning tha political hoir/on, 'Sounded a warning note tolbs Government .this afternoon in regard' to the future- problem it had to face. He diverged somewhat from tha subject before tha Hor.ee, viz., tha tariff, but his yiews. 'evidently reflected those of other •members, judging from their sympathy with his remark's. In complimenting the Minister of Customs upon tha gigantic work he had done in this tariff, Mr Wilforcl aiid that the Minister hsul dreamt over it, conversed over it ill his si&.-p, and walked with it for fiva months, and he had: done well. " But," said Mr Wilford, "I hope tha Minister will not let it drop here, but t=ee that the duti.-s where tbsy have been removed' will really benefit the consumer." The ordinary worker, lis emphasized, had a pretty stiff contract with the present price of commodities and rent. Tha Government! was enabled to make remissions not only because it had a surplus, but' bscau?.'? it was working An with its tariff its land proposals. With regard to the question of •graduated tax, if : they wanted to give the-people of NewZealand a free breakfast table, then they should!' start the:.'graduated tax on a lowerscale than £40,000, the present proposed] limit.. (Hear, hear.) .;. They would then have money to do it with.

Sir Joseph Ward: "£40,000 a year extra revenue, if you bring it down to £20,000, that wouldn't do it,"

Mr Wilford : " Well, all I've got to say is that the graduated tax is top low." Referring"'to the political outlook, ■• Mr Wilford said be'did not fear, any attack on the 'Government from within this Liberal party, but from the Labour Party. The Leader. of the Opposition could nol; but be heartbroken at his position. (Opposition dissent.) Mr Mastwy: "What about tlvs byeelection?"

Mr Wilford: "You call '.that,a..victory? You must know this, that, if either of the other candidates .had withdrawn your member would 1 not have got in there."

- Mr Wilford 'reiterated that 'if the Government settled: the Labour problem they settled a probk-ni which affecte<t the majority of the people of this country. The land question' would not do it. This tariff- was of more moment to the people of N.ew Zealand than 'the land question, and if they helped tlte people so far an ,t.he tariff was Concerned, they would do much more in a way to h-flp them than by the solution of the land question. ' ■-•.-' '.