MR GEO. FOWLDS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 301, 17 June 1912, Page 4

MR GEO. FOWLDS

REPLY TO MR. MAUNDER'S CRITICISM. V.v. C'i'o. Kowlds writes to the flditoi under date June 15, as follows: "Sir,—My attention has been «aJled to a letter in your issue of May 29, headed "Reply to the Hon. Geo. Fowlds," over the signature of N. T. Maunder. If misrepresentation, mis-statement, and abuse can he considered a reply, then the letter in question may be worthy of tlie title. Your correspondent begins with a high falutin axiom, 'that a jrablie speaker either does or does not know what lie is talking about.' I suppose the same applies to people who write letters to the newspapers. After I have pointed out a few of Mr. Maunder's inaccuracies, I will leave your readers to decide to which category youi correspondent belongs. "Mr. Maunder, referring to myself, says: 'After throwing overboard hi» one time affection for land nationalisation and single tax, he expressed his satisfaction with the freehold tenure, but advocated the imposition of a tax of not less than Id in the £ on the unimproved value of all lands.' He then proceed* to ask if it js possible that an cxMinister of the Crown does not know that such a tax has been levied for m*ny years past, or was I trusting t» the assumed ignorance of my audience. "First inaccuracy: If Mr Maunder wa« at my meeting and knew anything of the subject he was writing about he must have known that it was> an additional tax of Id in the £ that I was advocating. Second inaccuracy: I never at any time in my life was an advocate of land nationalisation, and therefor* could not have thrown overboard my affection for that system. Possibly Mr. Maunder is like Mr. Masscy used to be, unaware of the great distinction between land nationalisation, single tax, or socialism. Third inaccuracy: I did not throw overboard my old affection for single tax. My argument at- the New Plymouth meeting was in perfect harmony with all my talks on single tax. I have never at any time advocated a larger instalment of land value taxation at one time than I did at New Plymouth, viz., Id in the £. I believe that when the landless people of this country, together with three-fourths of the' owners of land, realise the benefit* that would accrue to the community from a partial application of a just system of taxation they will naturally ask for more. "Mr. Maunder's statement regarding the relative value of land in Hawera, to which I referred, and the land where I hail from is also .inaccurate, but as it does not affect the point I made, viz., that such high prices constitute a heavy burden and a privately levied tax on the labor of the future applied to such land, I don't feel it neceseary-to take further notice of his statement. Mr. Maunder's sneer at the 'profes»ional politician' falls harmlessly so far as I am concerned, sinec I am neither drawing payments from the State nor from the United Labor ■ Party, and hare recently travelled all over New Zealand at my own expense advocating a system of taxation which would largely increase my own contribution to the taxes of the State. Mr. Maunder says: 'The prosperity of pur country is to be attributed to three inventions,' viz., the freezing machine, the separator and the milking machine.' That is a fairly accurate statement he makes, and is an admission that the increased land values in town and country arising from these causes have not been created by either town or country landowners. That being so, it is surely a reasonable claim which wo make that the whole community should participate in the increased land values given to the lands of our country by social and scientific progress. Mr. Maunder's concluding remarks regarding the Mosaic land values shows he has no more accurate knowledge of their underlying principles than he liai regarding modern political economy."

LABOR IN POLITICS. HON. GEO. POWLDS' OPINION. In the opinion of the Hon. Geo. Fowlds. who returned to Auckland last week from a six weeks' tour in the south on behalf of the United Labor Party, the political prospects of the Radical party in New Zealand are exceptionally rosy. "Inm murl/more than satisfied with the result of my trip," said Mr. Fowlda to a. Star interviewer. "I finished up at Gisborne on my thirty-first address, and practically everywhere I had {rood audiences and found the people taking a real live interest in the united labor movement. A large number of people who for over 40 years and more have been voting the Liberal ticket are giving their adherence to the new party as the only thoroughgoing Radical party in the country The workers' organisation is being taken up vigorously everywhere, n the small country towns as well a* m the larger centres, and I feel quite certain that the dividing line in the near luture will be the United Labor party on the one hand, and those who are opposed to it on the other." "It has been a revelation to me," went mind of the community is a W wav \ advance of anything that hi been ™rf- d , by ei i her of thfi tw^ 9t S ard political parties, particularly in Ac recognition 0 f the need for increasing land values taxation. The fact that £128,000,000 has been added to the tari values in the last 19 vein -5 S2 most of that has gone to 22 000 farmer, ot taking the larger portion of it for Government purposes is widely reeog! ! Questioned as to his opinion of th« effect at th. 5? **°, Bpeak with »»• Se satiSe/M Xt + l ections - Ja " •*"> quite satisfied that the,radical members f the present Liberal party haw «t to come with us before very E R means that there will hj/« „ g ' J alignment altogethS *™ * rty