“ NEW ZEALAND AS I HAVE FOUND IT”

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 481, 18 June 1890, Page 4

“ NEW ZEALAND AS I HAVE FOUND IT”

HARROWING EXPERIENCES. Auckland, June 16. Mr Edwin Harrow, of Lake Takapuna, has fulfilled bis promised intention of printing a narrative of his experiences, and the brochure has now made its appearance in the form of a little pamphlet bearing the above title. Mr Harrow explains that his remarks were originally intended to be read at a meeting of the “ Knights of Labour,” but he adds, “As I happened to be the owner of the Lake Hotel, it was illegally urged the rules of the Society prevented me from becoming a member.” His opening paragraph is characteristic : “ Brother Paupers, Salutations ! I am doing to-night what I never did before. I come forward to address you as a brother pauper. Although I was weli off when I came to Auckland, and have laid out upwards of twelve thousand pounds ; yet I have to get money from other countries to live on and • pay rates and taxe3. All the interest that I receive from my twelve thousand pounds is djty pounds, per I neither smoke, drink, gamble, nor speculate in companies, but have spent a large amount in employing labour, and still continue bo do so, in improving my property. In any other colony than New Zealand I should receive something in return for my expenditure.” Mr Harrow proceeds to describe his crop of Lake troubles and grievances. He says:—“Fellow paupers,—l ask you now to look at the manner in which new settlers or immigrants are treated. Instead of helping them, they are looked on with disgust, and every effort made bo extract as much from them as possible. I got my fowls killed, my cattle impounded, and my dog stabbed, simply because I failed bo do everything 1 was told. Each year a man came round to value my property, and whether or no I received any benefit from improvements, I had to pay additional rates thereon.” Even the codlin moth seems to have been in league with the rest of the inhabitants against him. On this subject he observes : “Fellow Paupers, —lt may also interest you to know what a settler is able to grow, so a 3 to make it pay. When I came here, nine years ago, the codlin moth was unknown. The leech was not very troublesome, and all kinds of market produce fetched good prices. Now, if farmers do grow things, they cannot sell them for enough to pay for transit. This year, on three acres of orchard, I had not a hundred apples free from the codlin moth. These little wretches penetrate everywhere, even into the very corks of bottles in one’s cellar, and no doubt as they get better acclimatised they will eventually help themselves to the contents of the bottles ; ginger wine or brandy will make no difference to them. Like the sparrows and the rabbits, the codlin moths believe in practising the primeval command, 4 Be fruitful and multiply,’ and are not debarred by rates and taxes from doing so, as we are.”

Mr Harrow then becomes discursive. He complains of the attitude taken up by several Lake residents towards the wharf scheme, and denounces the Agent-General for snubbing him because he ventured to offer a suggestion with regard to the Calliope Dock. Then the lawyers, parsons, and “ civil and military curses ” come under the lash, but Mr Harrow’s bate noir is the property tax. “I am fully convinced,” he says, “ that unless we speedily get rid of that great incubus, the property tax, the whole colony will shortly go to where I am afraid most of us are booked—the Devil.”

Now, as Major Atkinson is determined to keep the property tax on, and the obnoxious impost appears to have the support of a Southern majority, Mr Harrow’s future prospects, like his past experiences, assume a very dismal hue. We are really very sorry for him, but it has been sagely remarked that even his sable majesty may nob be so bad, after all, as he is painted, and let us charitably hope that this speculation may be realised in Mr Harrow’s experience.