MR WHIBLEY IN REPLY.

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 1, 2 July 1892, Page 2

MR WHIBLEY IN REPLY.

TO THK KUITOR OF THK STAH. Sir, — Mr Stevens in his speech at Ashurst was endeavouring to show what a nice thing it would be for the colony if the large estates in Hawke's Bay were cut up in 200 acres farms ; you will remember that for the last 18 months or so, we have heard the same theory from many platforms. This " bursting up " cannot be done openly, so the Graduated Tax is invented to accomplish it by " legal " means. The principal reason I had in presuming to reply to Mr Chamberlain was to point out that as sdbn as our Liberal Government had thus legally burst up the big estates and cut them up into 200 or 250 acres farms, the revenue would fall very short if collected on the present leases of £1 2s 2d for a 250 acre farm, and that therefore .^farmers should look a little farther than this present easement (which I admit may catch a few votes) and see that they will soon be called on for more, for tlie revenue, like " discipline, must be maintained." There is another point which Mr Chamberlain has modestly left untouched, Jbut which farmers ought to see. It is this, that the tax on mortgages will not be paid by the money lender but will be added to the interest charged to the borrower, so that plainly this tax is a tax on the farmer, although not so expressed in direct words, therefore when the mortgages fall in, the farmer who wishes to renew, will find that he has to pay a heavier tax than of old. I did not mention in my former letter that the farmer also paid to the revenue through the Customs, for everyone knows that — but Mr Chamberlain took the opportunity of bringing it up so as to have a hit at the absentees — that they don't contribute through the Customs. The Government should have thought of that too, when they were going to make the absentee either reside here or pay up. Th§y put one tax which as Mr Macarthur told will bring in £2000, while at the same time, by altering the Property Tax, they were let off £7500. I 'think that both ofjyour correspondents and the Government had better have let them alone. In conclusion I must beg leave to differ from Mr Chamberlain on hi?, last paragraph, for the feeling now shown in the country goes to prove that Mr BruuQ will not long, be in the minority, but xl\q strong of the House. I I am, etc., [ ' F. "W. WIIIDLEY.