THE MINISTERIAL POLICY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5366, 8 June 1878, Page 3

THE MINISTERIAL POLICY.

TO i THE, EDITOR .OF, THE NEW ZEALAND. TIMES. ... ' Sir(— lt is certainly' rather, , amusing to observe with what persistency.the sp:called great , policy-, of ~ the present .Government , has been ‘.keptj, before)the public by; the Premier and’, that portion of. the .Press which supports him*- 2 ; a policy that,is,tosep'ure.To.,the ,£V®M public aU,, kin^sTof (a,free..,breakfast' table being ’teplnijled ; la , thebill-of-faro. The result 'undoubtedly, .' .is,,' amongst the less thoughtful, a widegpread belief,.that there is. really something very good in store for; them as the. •utqome pf the Premier’s paternal rule. Judging, however, from; the, -manner in which 1 ) this great ' question was,’ignored,;in,the most recent Ministerial statement, . • together with. hints, (thrown' out from, another,, Ministerial- 1 'source,(((the'/'free,, breakfast.,table will probably prove te be a myth", and; any relief from .the,presen); burden Of .taxation,; or, any advan-i vantage to be conferred on tho laboring classes ; of this colony through the patriotic action of the present Premier : -and j his colleagues, a sion.' ’ Tbis'will jno -doubt,, and ‘very naturally/ oahnbt"Uut 'tend to shalce public confidencein the. Premier’s sincerity i dr r , ability, or perhaps both, as ~the j’public rhavp jagaiu and-' again been promised'mo'st aubstantialr relief from present,, burdens, and,; great advantages: in the futuve-and I for one, long, before this,expected the publication of.his proposed re-; vised tariff, providing., for,,-sucte.reffiictions. In the absence of-(anyisuch;, iijocumenb,-; together with* the declining, prospect ,of rany;- 3 thing being done iu,;that direptipn, I ami now led to inquire what . meant; all this; speech-making,, i steamer) and" railway -.travelling, with of .attendants ihalmost regal .(style, j witli.! the,; -multitudinous ( and various deputations who; have hung breathlessly on the. premier's .lips as -if their.* pwn, happiness and the country’s prosperity • and even safety depended- oh his(utterances. What is the,,.country.'to;, .^eiqo^ye.for .all this; expense,-;apd ..te® >ve tt s wd,,tear, oh the not; too robuat 'oonstitutipn of .the .Premier? So .far as I .candivjuej from recent, statements, ;• and'the* general appearance (of things," it isi to receive,-an additional .burdenjip i( .tbe formof a new tax .to the .'exteuti of £150,000 : per annum, together with 2J. per cent.; on the profits of certain commercial transactions. In ,Mr.-. (Balance’s jßangitikej -spee9h,,(under;the. heading “ taxation,’’ not a word is said about any corresponding relief.. ~I am not aware if ,this wlll be sufficieht; to;sustain the enthuMhste’that’fhaa I (jbeeii;;(excited, in the country,in favor of( ! the great’retrenching andgenerally Teforhiiilg policy of the present Got ' verhmbht. 1 If J hot,'(l'have',no doubt they will he 1 ' 1 prepared to''p'rioceed'furthei* in the same direction. This relief; which' has ,been so often and faithfully promised—and' is ‘now being, looked for,by expectant ' public— to I be afcnie.ved l! by the’ uniqhe' prbc&s of imposing "iiddltidnal 'biii-ddhs in' ,the 'form of increased ' ta'xatioh ) ; pmmds mb of that gentleman’s; acheine fh 18?6 lor ' uhitiiig ‘ thhjcolony, which - was by’dividihg 'ifc’ihte two'distinct parts.—l am, &c., . ..... . i ! Wellington, June 5. ( .. ’; ((((;( 7 I