Rangitikei Advocate. SATURDAY, JULY 6, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8857, 6 July 1907, Page 2

Rangitikei Advocate. SATURDAY, JULY 6, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

IN days of old when highwavmon despoiled wayfarers, »uci later, when bushrangers robbed the rich squatters, the thieves were regarded with admiration by a largo class Whom they did not assail, simply because nothing could bo gained by attacking them. If tboy were generous as well as bold, and stole pounds from thchich and gave pence to tho poor, they were regarded as popular heroes. Their modern representatives are to bo found in Colonial Parliaments, which adopt the highwayman’s policy of seizing from those who have possessions, simply because they have more than their fellows, and not because of any service specially rendered to them. A feature of' tho policy of most Colonial Ministers is tho device of some means to compel the wealthier to contribute to the cost of government because tboy are wealthy. Our graduated laud tax is one of the forms of this special spoliation, and the income tax is another. Each is a tax on wealth, an increasing tax, and tho payer is doubly taxed, because tho payment of either tax does not relieve him from contribution to the Customs or other taxation. Neither tax can bo defended on the ground of equity, and we are glad to observe that the Farmers’ Union has opposed any increase of the graduated laud tax for spoliation purposes. If it was really necessary for revenue purposes to increase the tax on land thou taxation in other forms should also be increased. The income tax, for instance, should be graduated in proportion, and the exemption should be reduced, if, indeed, it would not be more just to allow no exemption. In regard to the whole question of laud taxation and land tenure, we suggest that the Opposition should move in the direction of making the provisions of the Land Bill, or rather tho trisected Bill, apply to the towns as well as to proporti es in the country districts.

WE congratulate the Farmers’ Union on the resolutions passed in connection with tho tariff question. The Union has ‘at last attacked tho real cause of the evils from which this colony is suffering, and lias proclaimed adherence to a policy which is in the beet interests of ail the people—even of the few who are employed in the “protected” industries. It is a question to which prominence should have been given at the very beginning of Abe Union’s work, and is really of more importance than even tho land tenure question. The Conference has adopted the correct attitude by not only protesting against any increase in duties for protective purposes, but demanding that any amendment snail be in the direction of ajreveuue tariff. That is practically a demand for repeal of restrictive duties, which lessen revenue, and compel Colonial Treasurers to have higher taxation levied on land and other sources. It is also satisfactory to note that the Taranaki remit affirm ing the desirability of reducing the taxation on the necessaries of life had to be withdrawn. The Taranaki farmers evidently failed to realise that if these were not made to contribute to tho revenue then tho class who are striving their utmost to destroy the freehold and make the land boar all the taxation would themselves pay nothing into tho public Treasury. There is no reason whatever why any- class should bo altogether exempt from taxation, and a revenue tariff should therefore be levied on all imports, and a revenue tariff only.

bTO doubt Mr Massey, like other Xpohticians, finds it desirable to angle for votes, and therefore to at least occasionally appeal more to the passions and prejudices of the electors than to their reason, That, if it can he called an excuse, must be bis only plea for supporting the senseless clamour against Chinese. It is senseless because in the whole colony there are only 8603 Chinese, and their number is SOO fewer than at previous census, ifho statistics therefore show unmjstakeably that the screeching about "Asiatic invasion" is merely hysterical, apd arises from no well-grounded fear, It is indeed but the utterance of the craven fear of some "born tired" whites that unless the Chinese are excluded they themselves may really have to work—not merely pretend to exert themselves. For though th" Chinaman is unlovely, and in man respects undesirable, even his mot malignant enemies have never as sorted that ho is not a willing an pers istcut worker. To all Intent and pm poses ho is a labour savin machine, and a cheap-running one Indeed, this seems to constitute hi chief offence in this country, whor a section iu the cities arc yiolontl; opposed to exertion. But if then clamorous people succeed in goftinj the Legislature to exclude Chinese they will soon wail about the in creased price and scarcity of gardoi produce, and other supplies, now cheaply furnished by Asiatic labour saving human machines. Wo sim ceroly regret that Mr Massey has practically endorsed the plaint oi the lazy. . Hfl |j- *, jL St

It is definitely announced that the Gothic is to be'-withdrawn from the-New Zealand trade after next trip. The Kev. Father O’Shea succeeds Rev. Father Lewis as Vicar-General of tho Wellington archdiocese. Mr W. J. Roche, the newly appointed engineer to Feilding Borough Council, will enter npm his duties iu about a

An individual is at present m i’almerstop rounding up the hotel servants with a view to persuading them to enlist n the ranks of a union. So far his crusade has met with very little success. Australian statistics show that though the birth-rate—2fk4 per 1000 is lower than that of any European country except' Sweden, Ireland and Franco, the natural increase of population ia larger than that of any European country owing to the very low death rate of 10.9 per 1000. The contractor for tho Gorge bridge has recently been engaged in getting the necessary appliances on the scene. As soon as the first consignment oi ironbark arrives the erection of tho bridge will be commenced. The whole of the iron work is being manufactured in Greymouth.

Sevaral large blocks of land in the Bay of Plenty district will bo opened for selection by the Crown Lands Board next month. One of these, tho Wahnana settlement, will be available on sth August. This contains 4354 acres and is subdivided into sovon dairy farms, ton ordinary farms, and fourteen village allotments, the areas of which range from 78 to 751 acres. T.“ Stead"is of "opinion that “the peace of tho world might be ensured by the hanging of twelve editors, ’ ’ London Opinion wonders who the other eleven may be.

To-day there are between five and six million telephones in service in the United States. Almost every farmhouse is equipped with a telephone, whereas ton or even four or five years ago the farther with a telephone iu his house was a rare exception iu the States.

Mr H. D. Densham, of Waituua, has purchased Mr P. Spence’s farm at Cheltenham, now occupied by Mr Harris. Tho price was £35 an acre. Mr Densham will take possession and go there to reside at tho latter end of this nionth.

Although dying worth £50,000, Noil Brodio, n Scotsman, and formerly, a preacher, was, says a Montreal telegram, known as the dirtiest man iu Canada. Judges had several times condemned him to bo washed, and once tho fire brigade cleaned the house with a hose. The Hokitika Magistrate gave reserved judgment in tho case of Chinn, charged with proceeding to sea in tho launch Nita without approved lifebuoys. He dismissed the information, holding that the regulations under the Shipping and Seamen Act were ultra vires, affecting no launch under five tons. The Farmers Union Conference lias negatived a proposal that the Uniou should take more active part in politics, but has agreed ‘ ‘ that it is desirable that rifle clubs bo formed bv branches consisting ot members of the Union.” Slay it he inferred that (ho Union despairs of obtaining reforms or redress by legislative means, and is making preparations for a struggle which is otherwise inevitable?

The Hon. Mr Scotland, who says that as ho is a life member of the Legislative Council ho has no sword of Damocles hanging over his head, remarked yesterday—“lt is easy to be a statesman in New Zealand nowadays. A man may be a bush carpenter one day and a statesman tho next; a sly grog-seller one day and a statesman the next.” The professional politician also camC in for a share of Mr Scotland’s contempt. Ho concluded his review of tho political situation by remarking that the people of New Zealand “were governed as well as they deserved to he. ”

On the 19th nit. there was an example of a rare and little-understood phenomenon. Mr W. Poolo and his wife, of Globe street, Paddington, says a Sydney paper, bad a startling experience, when during a heavy thunderstorm, a fireball burst through the bedroom window, ran aloua: the floor, and out tlirongh an open" door. It then passed through another bedroom, iu which Mrs Poolo was attending to her children, and got an exit through the window. Two panes of glass were smashed by the fireball, which about that time was seen by tho Government astronomer passing Glebe with an undulating motion and a hissing noise in the direction of Paddington. Professor Scllin and Herr Niemann, who are engaged in excavations iu Asia Minor, are reported to have discovered on tho site of Jericho a weli-prc-sor ,vd Oauaanite castle, consist] rig seventeen rooms. Tho castle is rl-.r-i. - loroy.s high. A stone staircase loads to*tho upper rooms. The stones arc still iu good condition. Another castlo still more massive is being explored in an adjoining tumulus. The celebrated wall of Jericho, joining both castles, has also been laid bare. ;It resembles that of Babylon. It is four metres high, throe metros thick, and consists of brick. Somo twenty private houses were unearthed containing a most interesting collection of objects of domestic life. All these have boon found within one mouth.

Armed with fa [fivo : chambored revolver, fully loaded, a Frenchman named Jean Laffout, on a recent night challenged two soldiers at Dover to fight, Ho pointed the weapon at them, and they eloped with him. After a scuffle the man was disarmed and given into custody. According to evidence given at Dover Police Court, it appears that while Laffout was detained he said lie was an anarchist, and had come to England to shoot tho King and Queen on t-hoir return home from the Continent, and would also shoot the policeman who arrested him. He, to].d the magistrates that he. was excited at the time. He had had sixteen whiskies, but was not drunk.

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