"FOR THE WRONG THAT NEEDS RESISTANCE."

Auckland Star, Volume X, Issue 1705, 5 August 1875, Page 2

"FOR THE WRONG THAT NEEDS RESISTANCE."

[To the Editor of the Evening Stae]

Sir, —Permit me through the medium of the columns of your valuable journal to be the exponent of my \iews upon the Education Acts of 1872 and 1874. The monstrous abusurdity which characterises the unfairness of its oppressive and arbitrary measnres which has reference to myself, my family, and others who have left the Australian Continent or other parts of the world, for the purpose of bettering their positions in life, and making New Zealand their adopted home. There is no doubt but that this great insular off-shoot of continental Australia, possessing as it does one of the most genial and healthy climates that a bountiful Providence has ever given to his creature man, and which is also teeming with undeveloped resources of hidden treasures, wonderfully varied in their respective characters, all of which in v due time will be utilised, eventually causing her inhabitants to be numbered by millions, when she will justly lay claim to the appellation of being the Great Britain of the Southern Hemisphere. But, sir, with all due deference to the members of your Legislative Assembly, and those who constitute the Government of this fair land, I do not think there are a people living under the British rule in all her vast possessions who are are so unmercifully taxed as are the people of this colony, and in reference to the compulsory measures enacted in the Education Act, I think it nothing less than cruel despotic tyranny to compel persons, situated as myself, to pay an unjusttax, from which they receive nothing in return. My reasons for objecting to the payment of the tax are as follows : Ist. I have had no voice in the representation of New Zealand having only resided here four months. 2nd. I am past 60 years of age, have paid for the education of the children of my own family, and cannot see why I should be compelled to contribute to the education of others. 3. Believing in free, secular, and compulsive education of the children of every people, the same (as in Victoria) to be paid for out of the general revenue of the State. 4. That your Education Acts of 1872-4 compels the poor man to pay equal with the rich, which is unfair, unjust, and unprincipled. And finally, knowing that myself and the people of New Zealand are taxed in an indirect way much heavier than they are in any other of the Australian colonies, is sufficient cause

and justification to myself, to reject tV'^fc payment of this arbitrary and ccmpnlsx^lf B measure, and should the Government of the 1 ¥'•' colon y not agree with my views, let them 1 I reimburse me my passage money in coming fout here (viz., £42), I -will at once re- W turn to Victoria vhere I have lived for the ' " past 37 years without even having had to pay' flj a poll-tax.--I am, Sir, yours respectfully, £ M M. Meek, Devonport, North Shore, Angugj IB Ist, 1875. '■