The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 223, 6 September 1878, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6.

As we anticipated, a considerable amount of hostile criticism has been evoked by the financial proposals of the Government. Mr Wakefield, on Monday last, made a severe onslaught on the Government measures. He prefaced his remarks by saying that he should criticise " with considerable frankness " the proposals of the Government. And he kept his word. Of all criticism, save us from that of a " candid " friend. From an avowed opponent we know what to expect, and he generally sets some bounds to his criticism, recognizing the fact that he speaks from a different standpoint to ourselves. But the " candid " friend takes liberties on the strength of his friendship which penetrate the closest joints of our armour. Mr Wakefield professes the greatest possible political friendship for the Government, claiming that last Session he went to considerable trouble to place them in power, and that he did so at great personal sacrifice, whatever that may mean. The hon. gentleman, however, is far more in his element in opposition than in support. One of the best speakers in tbe House, his .ratory is of the damnatory, destructive type. In impassioned invective he is immense. The special correspondent of the Lyttelton Times thus describes his speech of Monday evening :— " Mr Wakefield is one of the best speakers in the House, but is cold and unsympathetic. Thero ia an internal sneer in his tone which repels the effect of even the occasional brilliancy which he reaches. Then he is remarkably contradictory and erratic, ever changing his position and never displaying any stability of purpose or following one direct line except that of attack, assailing to-day what yesterday he upheld, praising that he had condemned, and anon winding-up by contradicting the whole tenor of his speech. Tetchy and wayward, from his political infancy affecting a deep knowledge of taxation, he yet knows not what tangible material or capital means, for he told the House when speaking on the tax on land, less the value of improvements, that unimproved land was of no value whatever ; that land without a house on it was valueless, whereat members laughed. This made him vehemently re-assert the statement, and he repeated that a ' piece of land until it was applied to the purpose of society had really no value at all.' He instanced that the slopes on the hill sides of Wellington were valueless until spades had done their work of levelling. This wonderful fallacy is refuted every day before the speaker's eyes by the price which these same slopes bring in the market, and that he should so misunderstand what value means is remarkable in a man having the temerity to enter the intricate field of political economy and the incidence of taxation. The Government proposals are of course to take the actual present market value of land, at which it sells whether occupied or not, and let that value form the basis of the assessment. Mr Wakefield made a long speech, much after the style of Mr Stafford, but too pert, and without that half-concealed and half-revealed deference for his audience which every judicious and good speaker must possess, and after he had said all he could against Ministers and their proposals, except against Mr Macandrew, he closed by assuring the Government that he wished them well, and desired to see them maintain themselves on their seats, but he condemned all subsidies to local bodies, and after that his speech fell flat and wearily on the House. He concluded by moving an amendment, which was again contradictory to his closing remarks as to his affection for the Ministry. The amendment was read from the chair, put at once to the Speaker, but at once rejected on the voices, a summary proceeding which did not appear to be pleasing to Mr Wakefield, and which was as severe, though silent a criticism as could well be bestowed on a speech which was undoubtedly clever, cold and insincere as it seemed to be."

We are by no means lost in admiration of all the details of the Government proposals, but this we unhesitatingly affirm, and we think true liberals will be with us, that in affirming the principle that Customs duties which operate in the nature of a poll tax, and press on a man in inverse ratio of his means of payment, should be reduced, and that the deficiency shall be made up by means of direct taxation on property, they have taken a step in the right direction, and are deserving of support. Criticism of details does not help the opponents of these measures in the least. The form of objection, which is the easiest and therefore the most frequently adopted, appears to be—" Your proposals are inconsistent. Why tax one class of property and not another ? " Putting aside the probable insincerity of this kind of argument, the obvious answer which suggests itself is to take the objectors at their word and say — " Very well,

gentlemen, if you wish for further taxes on property you can have them, and we shall thereby be enabled to make greater reductions in the Customs tariff, which will still more lighten the burden on the 'poor man,' about whose welfare you display such a refreshing, solicitude, a solicitude which, however, you have managed most effectually to conceal during the years in which you have had the direction of affairs." That any Government taking such a course ■nil] have public opinion at its 'back, when once the issue is fairly before the electors, and an intelligent public opinion has been formed, does not admit of doubt.