ALFREDTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2683, 25 August 1887, Page 2

ALFREDTON.

(From our own Correspondent)

Mr Horace Baker addressed a meeting in Messrs Macquarie Bros.' woolshed on Tuesday last. Thero was a good attendance of electors. Mr Baker's address was very inuoli 'the same as that delivered at Pahiatua, and seemed to give thorough satisfaction to those who had the pleasure of hearing him. Mr Baker gave a flat contradiction to several stupid reports evidently spread by his opponents-lor the purpose of damaging him in the eyes of the electors; Mr Baker is not a frothy or theoretical—or as the vulgar would say a " gas pipe"—politician but a solid matter-of-fact inan of business who speaks from au extonsive personal knowledge of the bush electorate, and the Colony in general.-; Iwill only give the' first paragrapKof Mr Baker's address as .'giving': the general " Conti" of the' candidate's opinions,, and which also gives expression' to; the • opinions, of all thinking men at the present timo. .The queß-' tioii was whether finance shpuld be oonducted on sound commercial priri-' ciples or in the unsatisfactory manner in which it was at present. "He ■badno hesitation in saying the affairs ofthe Colony wore in suoh a critical con-' ;dition that nothing but retrenchment could possibly bring us out of our difficulties. Thopeople were not.in a position to bear any heavier burdens •iu the.shape of. taxation. ■ -The only iremedy bro'ught'forward'bythe present' Government was to iucrease taxation through the customs, which meant that.the working classes would be taxed above their ability to pay. Was that a fair way of doing.it ?. He would say emphatically no! the remedy lay in retrenchment."

■■'•' Yes, Mr Baker is right " Sound commercial principles," but the first remedy lies with the electors who must choose' candidates 'who understand what commercial principles mean. Ido not thi.uk that we-as a rule will find thorn in the ranks of lawyers, journalists,' arid unsuccessful Agriculturists. -In Mr Baker, we have a good man of business, and I am glad to hear that his chances of success are excellent.