WELLINGTON.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1306, 7 April 1883, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT,) “RED HERRING.” It is evident that the Hon. Colonial Treasurer has devoted an immense amount of thought, care and attention in the preparation of his speeches now being delivered at the centres of population, and displaying a great deal of undoubted talent ana earnestness; but he starts from not altogether right premises under some of the headings of his speech, as he takes for granted that every family is in a position to spare a few shillings a month toward such a laudable object as providing for old age, infirmity, etc. Now the fact is there are hundreds of families in the Colony who are living from hand to mouth, and cannot earn sufficient at their daily toil to spare my sum, however small, to effect the desired and ; especially with rent, food, and raiment commanding such high rates ; and our popui&tion ia ever on the increase, both within the limits of this fair and prolific land, as well as absorbing the surplus of other countries, thereby reducing the chances of employment to a minimum, and keeping fairly remuncraive wages at a low standard, with a heavy excise on almost every article of consumption. If such squalid misery does not abound here, as in Etitfiand, it is because of the vast disparity of population, but we possess the elements of it.

New Zealand ia not Utopia ; for we do not enjoy perfection in politics, laws, etc., and neither can we find at present sufficient employment for our working classes, and Heaven only knows what will transpire in the future, if wo progress us at present. From our present outlook we shall become far worse, and this ia said in no croaking spirit for with no adequate manufacturing channels to give employment to our growing mill hands and artisans, we see our tailors, butchers, candlemakers, and soapboilers, tanners, etc., amalgamating and forming themselves into companies, like the land grabbers, thereby obtaining a monopoly, and giving a maximum amount of work at a small and circum scribed cost, and at the same time demanding “fancy prices” for their wares and land in return ; therefore, it is the same “old story,” the lower classes of consumers, who preponderate in the Colony, have to bear the heaviest brunt of the taxes ; whilst machinery takes the place of, and at the same time economises, manual labor. Evidently the Hon. Major with all his good intentions, has never felt or understood the real soreness and pinches of privation and want; for all his ideas, suggestions, and theories are taken and viewed from the eminence of affluence, and are therefore chimerical. Intemperance no doubt, is a cursed, crying evil, but sometimes “ out of evil cometh good " Did every one adopt the same views ot that ardent, zealous, ana earnest Good Templar Sir William Fox, K.C.M.G , and G.W.C T.. the revenue returns would become divested of the amounts divided from spirits, wines, ales, and tobacco, therefore what kind of a budget would the Hon. the Colonial Treasurer have to present to Parliament, and where would the money come from to pay the interest and reduce the nrincipal of our frightful loans? Would he be prepared to substitute the amounts collected under those headings, and collect them from the lands held by those owning above the fixed amount of acreage ? No, indeed I for that would be touching himself and clique up too much, but, nevertheless, it would “saddling the right horse" with the proper penalty ! and on no account must it be “placed on the sheep’s back I” therefore it is well for the rich land owners and merchants that the “ poor human lambs” are thus shorn, and “are bibulous,” and hard headed, if their constitutions only will but stand it. Divest the tariff of those items, and prohibit their importation, and I fear me in that event the land shark would inevitably become a still greater sufferer, and heavier burdens, placed on him than he i would submit to, and lie would set his terrific and voracious jaws firmly together and strenuously reject them as being bad for his digestion. These stump speeches, are at the best, very “poor sop for the people,” a thinly seasoned and impracticable “ mess of

pottage” given in return for their birth-right and heritage which is being so sinuously (good word) and covertly filched from them, red herring, pure and simple, wu are asked tn set forth aomething else I Everything seems to be thrust upon the taStt; brains, and “ all and all!’’ Cah’t Home of tiiK elect) Oiir representatives, whose special business it is, with their infinite u liMdiil: bring their vast intellects to bear ofi vital questions bf the day, and develops some good scheme—whilst we are exposing the abuses—and so extricate “ needy’ f from nut of the “ sloughs of despond." If in time, as I observe your Ulsdiator bf the political arena who represents the East Coast, is on his post sessional rarrtbles llscj would it not be advisable to remind hini, how incumbent it will be next session to call fot a return showing the amount of moneys Government have paid to their special organs, or to any. journal ; and under what item in the “Appropriation Act” dd they become chargeable ? A most amusing and intbreeting return should be forthcoming, and the public made aware to what merry tunes the puppets so ludicrously danced, whilst the Government merrily pulled the wires. The groaning taxpayer grimly looking in his pocket suffering for such “cheap” (I was about to say, bill “dear” is a more appropriate word) ind nasty performances. The “Post” wilk ought to be specially grateful, and shoul Ibe \ to you also, for the prominent notice you take of it, thereby doing a gratuitous piece of advertising for it? In these hard times, wc all had better become “ Te Whitians,” and have our “ bread buttered," but save us from “ laying it on so thick" as the “ Post” does to shelter it from “ violent hands” ns it avers that the Government did Te Whiti, to v save him from his friends when taken in charge.