MR,JOHNSTON VIVISECTED.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 69, 27 August 1879, Page 2

MR,JOHNSTON VIVISECTED.

TO THE EDITOH. Sra,-— K"o one could but admire some of tlio cleverly wrought but entirely sopbistical arguments brought. forward by Mr. Johnston m that part of his speech, to -the Palmerston Electors enlarged upon maladminietratioh of the Gfrey ilini§try. I will not attempt to show that Mr. Johnston was wrong m his judgment, but I would humbly submit to him that correct judgment cannot be arrived at by faulty reasoning! As two of thp . arguments" deduced were taken kindly to by the meeting and received the most applause, I wijT explain why my opinion is that Mr. Johnston's ideas were somewhat erroneous. Firstly, 'as to the Native Diflicully, Mr. Johnston, although h« said that the Ministi'y were to blame, did not* attempt to prove it. He showed that the Natives were glad when the present Ministry came into power, and when it liad^be^n

m power some jiittle time it was treated with contempt by the Jfatiyes, It is quite compatible 'm my .muid with .£hese facts that the Natiyas expected more from the new Ministry than if could perform knowing Sir G^eorge Q-rey m the past to have been to a certain extent their cpmmiserator; and when their expectation were not realised, disgust and impudence were the results; and those brave i£awer& settlers, bold as they undoubtedly are, would have been simply massacred' if the Government instead of dallying ''with, the Natives while hasty preparations were being made for the worst, had at once assumed a hostile attitude. "Vyhen the Ha wera settlers wer.e armed and paid soldiers around them, they could afford to be .defiant. And Mr. Johnston Bays that the attitude of the Hawera settler-, ard nit the Government prevented a war. Secondly as to the Land Tax, although I will not attempt to uphold the policy of this tax, nevertheless let Mr. Johnston come forward with better reasons than .he has given ius fgr discontinuing it. Its collection does not work well! Surely "that is no reason for concluding that if meyer can; work well, and so condemn the tax. It is not i^ per oent. oh the, capital unimproved value, and -only when thairvalue is £500. Is the working man or the struggling settfer hit Y er 7 hard here ? or is Mr. Johnston and the E and C. Aid Corporation hit harder; -Then, as to allowing 'mortgagees to pscape the Land Taxifthe absurdity of the. assertion is more than I expected from Mr. Johnston. He well knows £haj; nothing of the kind will touch- a Mortgagee. If the Mortgagee is taxed he will stipulate that the borrower pays the tax, will b,e repaid to the Mortgagee m the shape of increased interest. Perhaps "Mr. Johnston meanf that if fha Land Tax had been an Incpine Tax ? Mortgagees would be reached ; but lam afraid not Mr. Johnston. It is they who want money that have to pay for'itj taxes an 4 all. Mr. Johnston must really not attempt the old political dodge of worming himself into the graceis of the iJlector^ by j»ersi|ading them with fallacious reasoning that they are being trampled upon, aid he will see them righted. If he pursues this course much longer, "the electors' will come to, elusion that he is like a quaclf, wlib knows all' th«" symptoms and the exact remedy, while the legitimate practitioner is m grave and anxious doubt. — I am, &c,