MATTERS POLITICAL.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 117, 16 November 1896, Page 2

MATTERS POLITICAL.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Why have wages gone down from 2s to 2s 6d per day, and heavy customs been put on boots, clothing, etc. ? Because of the extravagance of the Government, who have tickled the ears of the unthinking by pleasant sounding phrases and volumes of Labor laws, but who have collared every penny they could possibly get hold of and piled on taxation to the crushing point. No wonder settlers cannot employ much labor or spend money at the stores, for it has to go the Government. Great Britain in 1876 had a debt of £23 7s 6d per head, and in 1896 only £16 10s (per bead, whereas we in New Zealand have a load of nearly £60 per head, and that load -has been increased by the Seddon Government by nearly £150,000 per annum. In 1891, Atkinson left a surplus of £143,965 iv the public treasury, and £718,000 in the Public Works chest. The present party have had the benefit of the above, and in addition about £1,250,000, being the annual accretions to the sinking fund, by Act paid to the Public Works fund, and in addition the accrued sinking funds by conversions of loans falling due, about £400,000, giving a total of about £2,400,000. Our increased annual expenditure in interest is £116,000, increased £227,000, and ordinary expenses have increased by £400,000. The customs duties, which bear so heavily on the working classes, have been increased during the past eight years by £397,659 per annum, for which Seddon, McKenzie, and party are responsible as they compelled Atkinson to raise the tariff. Notwithstanding the money left by Atkinson, and the other large sums, and the ,heavy taxation, the Government have been obliged to borrow £1,000,000, and by March 31st, 1897, they will have added about £6,440,000 to the national debt, besides the liability to the Bank of New Zealand. And yet there are people who still believe they are non-borrowing and economical Government, bat neither Mr Seddon nor Mr Bailey can dispute the correctness of the above. I am, etc., George Wilks.