TO TEE ELECTORS OF ASHBURTON.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1665, 17 September 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

TO TEE ELECTORS OF ASHBURTON.

Gentlemen, — We are on the eve of a very important epooh m our colonial history. The last Parliament had to go to the oountry, as the Government could not carry its proposals, m the shape of additional taxes to the tune of obout £300,000 a year. By this time every elector Bhould have made himself acquainted with what state of things we have come to. Our credit at Home has been shaken to the very root?, for whioh we have to thank our most extravagant administration; our agricultural and mercantile community are suffering from low prises In consequence of the general depression m trade, and our working men have to be content with very low wages, if they get wages at all, and hundreds of family supporters find it difficult to earn as much as will keep life and soul together. In such a state of affairs we should question ourselves if it is right or our duty to support a Government whioh intends to burden us with additional taxes ? I say most decidedly not, and we should support those candidates, who will be likely to use their utmost endeavors, when returned to Parliament, to put into offioe an administration, that will have the welfare of the people at large at heart and will reduce the publio expenditure to such an extent, that mote taxes would not be needed at a time when we can least afford to pay them. We have two candidates for Parliamentary honors m Ashburton, Mr Walker, a b.ind follower of Sir Julius Yogel, and therefore an endorser of his polioy, and money spending capacity, and Mr C. W. Purnell, a long headed gentleman, as even his enemies confess. The latter has made finanae his study for years past and m now coming forward as a candidate for the Ashburton constituency i has laid before the eleotors a simple and dear plan, how we could be saved from further taxation, and our affairs be brought on a more satisfactory footing. Mr PurneU's motto is Betrenohment and Beform, and every elector's duty Bhould be to make himself acquainted with the candidates' views and principles. I myself was a strong supporter of Mr Walkers three years ago, when I trusted Sir Julius too much. When I saw Mr Walker so blind>y following Sir Julius and voting with the defeated Government for i heavier taxes I felt that I oould not give Mr Walker my Bupport any longer and, I with many other eleotors welcomed Mr Purnell for coming forward and having the pluok to contest the seat against suoh a popular man as Mr Walker. But we do not want men m, that oan please everybody, we want politisians — men with more brainsjthan the popular man has and who can grapple with the difficulties our extravagant Government with its flash ministerial residences and administration have brought us to. Let every eleotor study Mr PurneU's programme and then I have no fear how the poll will go. Mr PurneU's ideas are clear and brief and may be summarised. 1, Beduction m the number of members m both Houses and their honorarium, reduotiou of the (future) Governor's salary and expenses to keep Government House, abolition of many high paid permanent offioials, e'c. etc, by which reduction alone a very large annual saving would be made. 2. Mr Purnell is strongly opposed to the proposed higher taxes m tha shape of heavier

duties on the neoessaries of life and upon articles m respect of whioh our local manufacturers are sufficiently protected already to enab c them to compete successfully with imported artioles. 3. The management of the railways by nonpolitical Boards. 4. No more extravagant borrowing. 5 The abolition of the Frisco mail service. 6. Beasonable retrenchment m 'he cos-, of the Education system such aa can be made without impairing its efficiency. 7 A better system of land administration by which greater advantages wil'- be offered to small settlers, while the present excessive charges upon the public funds will be lessened. 8 A general revision of the present machinery of Government with the view of putting it upon a simpler and cheaper ba«is. Mr Purnell will support any Ministry that will carry out his views to the benefit of the colony at large, and I have no doubt, that if eleotors think matters seriously over, they will return Mr Purnell at the he»d of the poll and with him m tha colony many more fresh members with the same sound and fresh views and none of the kind that have no ideas of their own and that are following a Ministry, that encourages an extravagant policy, at the expense of the middle and working classes of New Zealand. Therefore let every independent eleotor of this district go to the poll like a man and oast private feelin away for a time. The ballot is a secret one and none of us need let our fellow oolonists, be they business friends or employers of our labor know how we voted.— l am etc., An Indbpendbht Elector or Ashbcrtoh.