TOWN VERSUS COUNTRY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2189, 2 August 1889, Page 2

TOWN VERSUS COUNTRY.

XO THE BMIOB

Sir, — I read Mr Lesdley's lettar In your Issue of yoaterdiy with a good deal of Interest, and I qu'te agree that It Is desirable that the representation question should be dlsousßed In the oountry as well as Iv the olties.. Perhars one of tbo reasons why no meeting haß been heldrhere is that at present It la uncertain how the small boroughs will be tretted. If the eJeotorH of the borough are to be Bubjeo'ed to tho 33$ deduction we will I hope take ao.lon to prevent such an lcjastloe. From my i point cf view the town party have all the bat i f the argument- Mr Leadl-jy points >ct the jealousy and Intolerance of the speakers at the Ohrlstohoroh meeting, to tho " jaat and proportionate demsnds "of the country. I wish Mr Lerdley had pointed out where the ■• just and proportionate " oomes- Inr No- one that I have "heard of hBB proposed that a man ln the j oountry ahcnld not have bla rights, tbat W — -Itrnk. it—the lame ppwer as any other : IpoMon. ''Onemiir-ono vote," that lurely |i juitlco ■ but tho country party i

v pr.ee.it deoi-.nd that, two man In the] country shall be c-qu>l 'o thre_ men ln a . town, ' 1 dm well awsra th°,t Mr Load's? lasn« to Oafßjrvati.m, but bow iuoons'st nt ha Is. To bo In soiordanoa with the main argu- ' raontof hla letter, he ought to maintain that "♦ho gentleman farmsr " should have a ' j 'st and proportionate " amount of re- | _r».a.uratlon over a„d above that p bb jssed | <.y tha •' tUmSQ ploughman," I wtu d ask j Mr Leadley upoi whit grounds he supports a state of aff »lrs that poimiti th* 1 rnGauß9t larm servant to. hive bb much power at 'ha bail t box sb the full-pledger: oiofc'Uoo who farms 10.000 so^es. Then again, npon **.h »t ground doei Mr -Loadluy. hold -U.ai .-a- man who -,.dri*"e.*_ a . p'ough s oui 1 h ive »r.o-o siy ii ih9 • ff-ira of tbia o untry tba ■■•, for instance, a man who happens to m •._;■<> .ploughs in.a.ci'yX.. Doe* the first contribute moro t>> tbe rovQnu? than 'h'3 second ? And io noh the one qnite a* essonti'.l as the oihic lo tUe production of the fruits of \h. earth ? Mr Le dley soaa -n to Fay !' one of tbe iwo a thi gi anyone end) is to' so' cas against ola^s." "Set h3 approves the action of tho country par'y who an j ist the men m the presont iust mce who h«va done thh thing ; '''The'tTwo ' cabrict'WV/' without the co'antry " ; qil'e truo, but neither can th ■ co_n'.ry exist without towns, Mr'Leadl-y fen prooeedi (with a view, w*„raay suppo 1 c, of drawing closer the boad* ot good fellowship between tow? .and c <untry) to pour the vials of his w*ath upon towns io.general ,l where," be c ' every tfocialißt fad and ev.<ry Pio tectionist ctpzi Ib started, and broatha their native air, and where political o- anks of every type and demagogues of the j worst' species mounts into power : and office upon th i eh mlderß of the ignorant, the innapahle, and the designing" On Lit Lead ley point out to a town m New Zealand, or elsewheio, where such a state of things prevails ? Mr Leadley appears to be perfectly eatisfied, notwithstanding his admission ' * that we are mutually dependant upon each other ; that the farmers k*ep e7ery thing going m this oouutry ; they do aU the producing ; the reat of the community being a mean artful and designing olass of persons who by a vaiiety of despicable dodges manage to flaec?,,. Iho producer f>t every point, I have to differ wiih Mr Leadley hpre. T hold th*t, every parson who doeß any kind of productive labor or furthers m any way the production and distribution of the necessaries and luxuries of life, produces wedth,' and those persona who.cootrive to accumulate the largest quantities of this world's goods, ■ ore often the very people who do least towards that production. A'tr I am, eta, , Jambs Keib.