The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, MARCH 10, 1890. HENRY GEORGE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3455, 10 March 1890, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, MARCH 10, 1890. HENRY GEORGE.

Henri Qeoboe has recently paid a flying visit to Auckland, and has left behind him thore a very pleasing impression. That ho in an able man is a matter of course, and it may also bo admitted that he is sincere and earnest in his belief in the principles which he advocate?. There are, perhaps, fow men in this colony of any political party who will not approve such sentiments as the following:— Onr creed is simple. "We believe in the largest production and the fairest distribution of wealth. We would do away wilh everything that hampers trade-that oppose's auy obstacle in tho way otcommerco —that would prevent the freest intercourse between our own people end all other peoples, (Hear, hear,) The man who brings wealth to the country we look en as a publio benefactor and not as on enemy, To tho man who makes two blades ot grass grow where before there was but one, and adds in any way to the sum of wealth, insteadof finins;, wo would give his lull anil natural ■ reward—the use of all thai his energy and industry has produced, This is a very different creed to the bastard single tux idol which has been set up in Musterton, one leg of which is to bo freelrade, and the other protection. It is not a man like Henry George we havo to fear in New Zealand so much as our own protectionists, who, with Very different aims

and objects, endeavor to make a catspaw of this celebrated democratic champion. Again in another portion of thesauie addross, he declare) that tho singlo taxers aim is to ho the culmination of Christianity, " It ie simply the carrying into effect of the golden rule. It in simply tne bringing on earth of that kingdom of righteousness for which the Master told his dcsciples to pray, and therefore to work," As far as aims go we would feel disposed to be on the samo aid* as Henry George, hut we question very much tbe means by which h« proposes to attain his ends. Hu claims that in the' States and in England ho has almost brought hie Dingle tax theory to the verge of practical politics, and no doubt hopes lo meet wilh a corres-: ponding success in Australia and New Zealand. Still by his own admission he has not as yet in any one country j brought his vjews beyond a theoretical stage, and if he dnco succeed in doing { so, we trust New Zealand will not he the prentice hand to reduce (hem to practico. In America, in England, in /tlstralia, and even to a certain extent in New Zealand there are large centres of pollution, where "poverty and crime" breed, and where reformers of the Henry George type have to face social problems which have defied generations of statesmen and philanthropists, With tho" running sores" of great cities a man liko Henry George is thoroughly familiar, but to the general circumstances and condition of o fairly prosperous colony like Now Zealand, he is a stranger." Would his theory, if adopted in New Zealand, lead to that distribution of wealth which ho aims at? He, no doubt, believes that it would, but' with those who libyo lived in this Colony many years and who understand tho conditions under which it prospers, there is no question of belief, thoy koto that the adoption of hip proposed single tax would WW} ta progreps, lead to

widespread distrcfß, and make the poor poorory It is triio that under i such a tax the prices now paid for ! food and clothing wonid fall, but at'' ilio Bnnio time wages would come down with a run, and where would then ho the advantago to tho labored Placing heavy direct burdens on land would in this Colony clrivo someten thousand men now living and working on the Boil to swamp tho labor market, wliereaß' what ij really needed in the interests <if tie colony is to reverso this operation and drive men from an overstocked labor market on to the understocked land, The misfortunes of New Zealand commenced when Sir George Grey, somo fourteen or fifteen voire ago, took the heart oat of the hard workiug settler of tho colony by tho introduction of ft land tax, which still survives in another form in the Property Tax Act, Since then it has beon almost penal to own land in New Zealand, as the State from time to time helps itself to a rental ont of it. Were tKe land free from tbo grasp of the Colonial Treasurer, production and settlement would advHiieo with rapid strides, and were Henry George to take up.a farm in the ■Auckland province and work it for a few years I on a small capital, he would, we feel suro, discover that he has been putting the boot on the wrong log, and that tho man who in Now Zealand undertaken to make two blades of grass grow whore but one grew before must not bo saddled with an extra , rental in the shape of a single tax,