REPLY TO MR A.H.SHURY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1898, 20 July 1888, Page 2

REPLY TO MR A.H.SHURY.

TO TUB EDITOR. Fit, — I take the liberty of asking you to allot me a portion of your space, to reply to the lettor of Mr A 11 . Shury, which appeared m your isßue,of July 17. In the first place Mr Bhury accuses me of not replying to his queßtion, " Is a large increase m rales and (axes conducive to the advantage and prosperity of any country." I wished Mr Shury to define his quettioD, as the words rates and taxes covered euch a wide area of meanings. However, Mr Shury prosßod his question. Ob it stood, and I replied that if Mr Shury alluded to protective duties as taxation then I submitted that such duties, or as Mr Fhury would term it, '• taxation," were conducive to tho prosperity of any country, ns they tended to deyelope pjrioas industries which would give emp'oyment to tho people ; but, on the other hand, if Mr Shury 's quostion alluded to an increase of revenue duties, properly, and other taxes, then, I anewered un hesitatingly, that such an increase was not conducive to the prosperity of nny country.

Now, Mr Editor, do you not think thnt tho above answer is clear enough for any man of ordinary intelligence to accept Mr Shury is like the lawyer, who aaka a witness two questions m one, and demands ■ an answer, yea or no, oither of which answers will suit him when arguing for his olioot later on. Mr Shury further gives arguments which are totally contrary to fact. He makes a Btalement lhat ivy factory will only employ girlß. Let mo tell him that the only work that can be done by girls is tho box-mnking and the Btioking on of labels, -vyhloh work will employ some eight or ton girls, while the other work must be done by men. The head man I have now engaged at a salary of £300 a year. Mr Hhuty also quotes false figures r,e the prico I intond selling my plates at, and nleo the price I have been soiling imported plates at, It is extremely bdßy for any gentleman to mako out a strong oaso if he q notes augumonts without foundation, illustratious t'.iat are not fact?, and figures that are not correct. lam confident thit I am not oventopping the mark when 1 apply the above to Mr Shury'a letter. In conclusion, I trust soon to see every intelligent farmer m or near Ashburton a mombor of our Ashburton bracch, so Boon as it is properly started, and thus ahow thnt they at least think that it is better for tho country to have the bags used at tho Ashburton flour mill n?ade m New Zoaland by our girls than haviDg them made m another country, thus robbing our boye and girls of employment, Yourfl, etc , Edkn George.