OUR "FAT MEN."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1389, 15 March 1912, Page 2

OUR "FAT MEN."

Sir—lt is a .most extraordinary fact that the Liberal party continue to be "hoodwinked" into returning the nominees of capital" and the wealthiest man in the colony to represent them in Parliament. Judging from the press polit.wnl forecasts, tlio new Cabinet, now under consideration will includo among their numbers men with incomes varying .rom five to fiftv thousand per annum. If a warren of rabbits elected half a dozen ferrets donned in rabbits' shins to protect themselves against the onslaughts of the-neighbouring sheep, the position would not be one whit more ludicrous than the simple, confiding Liberals choosing the wealthiest men procurable in J>ew Zealand (donned in Liberal attire) to protect them from the rapacious grip of tho farmers. These farmers are described b'v these "gilded gentlemen," when speaking to their oonstitueirts, ns the iat man " their born and natural enemy, their obiect being, of course, to divert tho attention of tho "unthinking electors" from their own fat revenues, mid thriv lave and lucrative incomes, made by the Mveal of the working mnn's brow. The majorilv of these farmers now draw, say, their XjOO per annum oft' their land, and are held up by these "from ..£5llOO to .WO.OfIO a year gentlemen" as the "fat men." the' of tho colony, "undesirables," and "social ])o<>-," whose proncrtv must lie taken from them and their incomes reduced on a level to that of the ordinary labourer of the present time! The Libera! party have now been in power for twenty years, during which time Ihev have raised loans to the amount of over .CId.IKKI.MO. and although Ihejare always assuring Hie public that these loans am self-supporting, as each fresh year comes round oxtra taxation is placed

on the shoulders of Hie working men. If those loans are folf-supy«rtiiiß. n* w<i are assured tln-.v are, lln-n there should be no need whatever for taxation on tlui necessaries uf lii'v. The public, should immediately insist on a thorough investigation of 'our public accounts, find a statement prepared by competent men, allot/ether outside the control of Govcrninent. No one for 11 moment doubts tho iccuracy of each Demu'l meal's individual jccuunl's but in the "compilation" of thesa iccounts- a clever financier can .show ''profits" where loss actually ex'"* s - lno wcrclivo attitude taken up by the Liberal Government is not conductive to conn- . leuce. and those members ol Parliament n-hc do not insist on an liiveMi station as ibove suggested must be considered as :iarlv lo this .secrecy—l am. etc., COLONIAL BANK SHAItKHOLUER.