The Australasian on Literalism.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3235, 2 July 1879, Page 1

The Australasian on Literalism.

It is the characteristic of the class policy of, indictiveness and oppression which what is called the " Liberal" party! in these colonies has adopted, that the' party is compelled by the necessity of the* case to go on from bad to worse and from one injustice to another still grosser, i There is a curious parallelism between 'the announced intentions of the Berry ; Government and those of the Grey i; Ministry in New Zealand : in regard to dealing with the land tax next session. In ! our own case the tax is only a monument of the genius for blundering of its author, who estimated its yield at just double what jit actually produced. Now we are told tho tax is to be modified io as to realise the jamount expected—in other words, it is to »be doubled. In New Zealand, too, where [ the Ministry carried their bill into law, tithe tax is now spoken of as only "a be[.ginning in the right direction," though we are told at the same time that "it is too small to inspire confidence that it was not meant as a blind to allow the landshark to go off scot-free." So it is now to be made " a reasonable reality," and is to be. supplemented by an income tax. |The sessional programme of the Grey jG-OTernment, as it is announced by j inspired authorities, simply, reeks with class taxation and class feeling. With all. this the Government manifesto ends St., ; informing us that Sir George' rey has been labouring by his speeches to '.' create a broad spirit throughout the colony," and that "the': Ministry as a whole are men of the most' liberal instincts." To those who know what colonial " Liberalism " is, it is too evident that there is nothing at all incon*. sistent between abroad spirit of Liberalism and the most nefarious class legislation and class taxation, pushed to the extent of making confiscation an ordinary means of revenue and treating industry and' their consequent prosperity as most atrocious crime. \.