OPPOSITION MIS-STATEMENTS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1656, 7 September 1887, Page 2

OPPOSITION MIS-STATEMENTS.

| TO THE EDITOR. Sir,— ln the ''Guardian" on Monday appears an article under the above headIng, In raply to which 1 should like to Bay a few words, The writer of the article m question affirms, I know not ou what grounds, that the Opposition party " Want to open the land to the land ■hatlcs once more bo that they can Increase tbtlr already vast dominions; they want to prevent their colossal estates contributing a fair proportion to the taxation of the country, and they want to hare their runs converted into freehold ; or their laaaes renewed lot a long term on easy conditions." In reference to this tirade I will merely say, first, that the law Absolutely forbids the renewal of the leates of the Canterbury runholders upon their expiration m 1890 ; and, secondly, so far as the Ashbuitjn eleotion Is o-n---oqrced, we can hardly look at Mr Walker, who is a equatter himself, and who U supported by tquatters and the financial lnfluenc3B of " Wast street," at the ohamrSon of the popular party against Land Monopoly. One can scarcely imagine, by the wildest o:rotch of f incy, Mr Walker eritertiiuiog such Bintlments as are expressed by the author of "Ao Agrarian li»w for Now Zoaland." Then you favor as with a Ion; extraot from the " Wanganal Herald " to prove the falsehood of the assertion that • " the Government want so enforce new and additional taxation of a crushing nature," about which the " Herald" waxes very warm. The " Wangsnai Herald," I may observe, is the organ of Mr Ballano*, who is one of its largest proprietors. The " Her*ld" boldly declares "that the Government have no wish to add to the burdens of the people, who are now paying about £2 par head m the shape of Oattomi duties, as against £3 6i five years ago, when Major Atkinson and his friends were m power. The Ooatoms revenue has fallen to the extent of nearly half a million during the time the Stout Ministry has been m oflbe." We have only to turn to offioial documents to find that during the finauoial year 1883-4, which was ths last financial year during which Major Atkinson was In office, the Customs revenue amounted to £1,396 687. whereas daring the financial year 1886-7, it amounted to £1,289,000 ; m other words, it had fallen, nut to the extent of nearly half a million as the " Herald" audaciously declares, but to the extent of £107,687 only, and, then having told this unblushing falaahood, the " Herald" using the same falsehood as a basis for its truths proceeds to abuse the Opposition for oharging the Treasurer with kfliotlng new and crushing taxation upon the country, The reason why the Customs le venue has declined m that year by £107, «57 is Bimply that the people are poorer now than they were then, and are consequently oompellod t) do without many comforts whioh they formerly enjoyed. Yet now, when the people are least able to bear it, the Government propose to extraot from their pookets. £186,000 a year more Custom's duties, and that, too, without making any serious attempt to diminish the public expenditure. Instead of lessening the expenditure to meet our diminished inoome, they propose to laave the expenditure alone and augment our revenue by further taxation It must cot be forgotten that m the course of the last three years, the Ministry have increased the taxation m many ways. They have, for instance, raised the Stamp duties, and the man who buys a piece of land for £100, vow pays 15s for Stamp duty, instead of 10s, whioh he would have had to pay when Major Atkinson was m office. Even the Bankruptcy Court is made a source of considerable revenue to the Government. Loosi taxation has also increased m one way and another during the last throe years, as the ratep*yera In this part of the country know full well, and the people are consequently less able to bear addi* tional heavy burthens, Bat surely the peoplo mast understand by this time that the question whioh they will ba called upon to decide on polling day is-— Additional Taxation, to the tune of £325,000 per annum, vartus Retrenchment. — I am, eto,, ASUBUBTOIf EIBOTOK.