THE GERALDINE CONSTITUENCY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1172, 1 May 1884, Page 2

THE GERALDINE CONSTITUENCY.

TO THK BDITOB. Sir, —You are counting your chickens before hatching. You imagins the present Government will be oustsd at the opening of the session. Not so. Depend upon it every species of chicanery will be employed by laud rings, mercantile companies, and squatters to keep them in power. That Mr Tripp would he a tower of strength in .Parliament, no one who knows that talented gentleman will gainsay. Soma electors, however, are apprehensive that Mr Tripp would he influenced by members of the Upper House bearing the distinctive brand. On that score there need he no fear, for Mr Tripp would honestly and earnestly abrocat® liberal measures and justice to the people—prominently the abolition of the iniquitous tax upon industry, vis., the Property Tax, by which the cultivated lands, houses, cattle, furniture, etc., of the farmer and cockatoo are assessed to their utmost value, whilst squatters and monopolists only pay nominal rates for the large areas in their possession. He views with just indignation those immense fertilo plains, which ought to be the happy

homes of thousands and thousands of families, held by monopolists who neither cultivate nor sell—retained for the purpose of founding and rearing a spurious aristocracy laud rings having railways made by borrowed loans to bear a few bales of wool to a port of embarkation, whilst the industrious farmer and cockatoo (many with large families) are squeezed annually by means of Customs and property taxes, to pay the interest on these squandered loans ; aristocratic absentees and mongrel Jews living at their ease in the Old Country, expressing loudly with full mouths the richness and happiness of existence in this colony, because they regularly receive large incomes without contributing one penny towards the revenue of the colony. In fine, Mr Tripp would be prepared to levy a heavy tax upon all uncultivated and semi-cultivated lands held by absentees and monopolists. To measures for the amelioration of the social condition of the people Mr Tripp would give a cheerful and earnest attention. One most urgently required, is a measure for regulating the fees charged by medical men. It is monstrous, whilst people are struggling for an existence, that if a medical man go out of town to visit a woman at her confinement, or the sickly child of a working man, he charges five guineas that is, he is to work hard fifteen or sixteen days to pay for the doctor’s one visit, and if the case is permanent it is ruinous to the poor roan. Upon those blood-thirsly leeches—colonial lawyers —of whom Mr Tripp has as great a horror as he has of the silver grey rabbit—a class who revel in sequestrations and distraints, fattening upon the misfortune of poor settlers, Mr Tripp would also levy a heavy poll tax. It is a question largely discussed, how far advisable it is to bestow political powers upon clergymen, for they are not infrequently tha first to become backsliders. A signal instance of this took place last session. A green-eyed parson, of great oratorical powers, pledged he would oppose every species of Government corruption ; hut during the session his palm was so incessantly greased that he slid from the Liberal and patriotic side of the House and went over to the squatting Ministerial side ; yet, when the palm lining process wa* going on, he would lift up his eyes heavenward, ejaculating ‘ Lead us not into temptation.’ Would an honest sterling patriot like Mr Tripp yield to such tsmptation. I emphatically say, No 1 As a member of the County Council, Mr Tripp acted with justice and impartiality ; as a member of the Mount Peel Road Board, with energy and perseverance ; so much so, that through his instrumentality good roads have been made in the back country for the travelling convenience and comfort of people and sheep. Last season the good Mr Tripp cleared £15,000 on wool, etc., and he richly deserves, previous to his election for Geraldine, a holiday to the Home Country, where he is destined to hobnob with the leading aristocracy, and in Germany (which he intend# to visit) with the Kaiser and the illustrious Bismarck, to whom he will bear the best wishes of the Canterbury settlers. Hoping Mr Tripp’s holiday trip will be attended with pleasure, at winch no one will rejoice more than your obedient aervant, I am, etc,, Elector No. 1. AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT. TO THE EDITOR Sir, —Will yon kinuly give me apace in your journal to express my thanks to the caretaker of the Geraldine Cemetery for the act of honesty lie showed to me the other day. About three months ago my wife was in Geraldine, in the vicinity of the cemetery, when she bad the misfortune to lose her purse, containing a sum of money, She made inquiries about it, but without success, and of course it via# given up as quite lost. My surprise a day or two ago may be imagined, when, on passing the caretaker’s bouse he asked me if I had lost anything. I told him my wife bad lost her purse some time before in the neighborhood. He asked me if I could tell him the contents. This I did, and he then told me he had found one answering the description I had given. He handed the purse to me, and, on opening it, there was exactly the sum in it that was in it when lost. My admiration of this act of honesty induced me to offer him half the contents, which he declined to accept. There is no doubt be asked several people besides myself, for he did not know me, nor was there anything about the purse to indicate its owner. Now, sir, I think an act of honesty of this description compels me to thank the caretaker of the Geraldine Cemetery publicly. By kindly inserting this you will greatly oblige,—l am, etc., John Fifefxkld. Orari Flat, Woodbury, April 23rd, 1884.