THE Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, JULY 16, 1892.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2383, 16 July 1892, Page 2

THE Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, JULY 16, 1892.

FARMERS LEAGUE. There has been a great meeting of the Farmers League held in Christchurch, and really some of the resolutions passed thereat are very funny. For instance, a Mr Lambie moved " That this League denounces as dishonest, and a national breach of faith any proposal to nationalise the lands owned by private citizens without paying fair compensation for them." Now, has there ever been made any proposal by any one in New Zealand •to nationalise land owned by anybody without paying compensation for it V Never. Themostout-and-out Radical, the most rabid reformer, the most violent Socialist New Zealand has seen, never uttered a single word suggestive of confiscating the interests landowners possess in their land. It has been frequently urged that large estates should be burst up by means of taxation ; but never has it been said that land should be taken away from farmers and made the property of the Crown. Then what is the object of this resolution of the farmers—or more strictly speaking—the squatters of Chrstehurch? As we huve said, no

\ one threatens to take their land without compensation. In that case where is the need for singing out before they are hurt'? Simply this : The large landowners want to frighten the small landowners; they desired to make them believe that it is the intention of the present Government to rob them of their properties. The, large landowners have been robbing the small landowners of taxation hitherto, and they want to continue to do so, but it appears that they are now too late. They have deluded the small farmers long enough,, but we doubt whether they can do so much longer. The next amusing resolution was moved by Mr Ferryman and seconded by Mr John Grigg. It was " That this League declares that it is unjust for the dwellers in town to have the right to have three votes, while the country settlers have only one vote for the election of parliamentary representatives." Now this the best of all. We are surprised at a sensible man like Mr Grigg putting his name to it. It would be wrong to give three votes to people in towns certainly if it were true, that they had them, but it is not. The fact is that a country man has one vote and the one-third of a vote more than the towns man. The explanation of this is: The late Government amalgamated the constituencies which had hitherto existed in the four cities of New Zealand. Until then these cities were divided into three constituencies each, and returned three members, but the late Atkinson Government, thinking they would gain thereby, amalgamated the city constituencies, and now three members sit for each ofthecitiies. It is just as if Timaru, Gladstone, and Geraldine were made one constituency, and three members were elected for ; them. As it is now, the people of Geraldine vote for their own member, the people of Timaru for theirs, and so on, but if the whole three were made i into one, the whole three could vote for the three members. It would just come to the same thing. The Tories tried the dodge of amalgamating the city electorates, they find they made a i mistake, and now they cry out that ' the towns men have three votes. It is t not true: the country voters are allowed greater voting power than cities, and it is foolish of the squatters of Christchurch to pass resolutions of this kind.

DUPLICATE TAXATION.

: Thkee afternoons have now been t wasted in Parliament on the question as to whether the foreign capital of money lending companies shall be subjected to double taxation or not. Did any ' one ever hear of such attention being given to the interests of farmers ? who ever heard of Mr Rhodes getting out of \ tt. Tn P er over anything else '? "We have i always farmers that in voting for ': money lenders f-hey voted for their natural enemies, but they have not heeded our warnings, and) now they 1 can see for themselves how the " Shent per shent " gentry of New - Zealand look after the interest of their 3 class while they pay very little attention to matters of greater importance. > to the community. The story of this affair is that Mr Rhodes in his speech in Temukasaid the debenture capital of money-lending companies would be subjected to double taxation, and that that • would drive capital out of the country, r The capital has not been driven away, * and Mr Rhodes now wants to wriggle k out of the position of a false prophet. He insists that only for the Government giving promises that this double . taxation would not be imposed, the capital would have gone, and lie wants til© Premier to admit this. Tiui Pre--1 mier, however, will not admit anything. t He has told Mr Rhodes and the House " frequently that tiie bill for amending acts will be laid before parliament in b a short time, and that all will see then the Government's proposals on the ' subject. On«i jyould think that this would have been sufficient : one would c think that Mr Rhodes and his friends i could suppress their curiosity for « week or so, but it seems they cannot. They have on two or three occasions . adjourned the house and spent whole afternoons simply abusing the Premier. t We congratulate the Premier on his firmness in not allowing himself to be , brow-beaten by a lot of political Biddy > Moriarty's who since they lost office 3 seem to ham lost all sense of decency. > It is really scandalous to waste the ti me ' of the country in this way, ]V r e all ' know ijjafc the Land and Income 'Fax . Act provides (that there should be no j duplicate taxation, w& k/jow also that ) the Premier has promised i<s q»9.fce the , matter relating to these debetitw.es clearer, and that ought to be enough for reasonable beings. The opposition, however, are trying to make a little - ! capital out of it; they have not much to go upon, and they catch on this as ' the jast straw. That is all that is in it. I ~, „^^^^—_^— ■■—■■■ mmmiiuiwwnmm.w iywn ■» wii m