North Walrarapa Liberal Association.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4810, 28 August 1894, Page 2

North Walrarapa Liberal Association.

Special fketinq. A special meeting of the JN'ortli "Wairarapa Liberal; Association was lield on Mondayj August 27th, the business d , the meeting'was the reviewing of the 1 work of the present session of Parliament. Tho following interesting remarks wero made by a prominent mornber of tlio Association:— . . ; • " As wo are all awnroitf? of the important measures of thislessionwas of a .??£ surprising and sensational character. ■ •. Whatever differences of opinion may exist as to tlio wisdom of strqngtliening the position of the Bank of Sw Zealand by a Stato guarantee, there can, I think, bo but one verdict as to the •' desirability of averting a huge financial ■ catastrophe, that would have involved - hundreds if not thousands of industrious ;. : ; and deserving colonists in ruin. The step taken has placed tho Government virtually in control of tlio Bank, and it can hardly fail to facilitate tho reform in thomatterof currency of rates of intorest, which are no«' regarded as essential to ■ the prosperity of-the country. If ono . will only just look over tlio yages of the Moroantile Gazette, lie willfandii) every issue, numbers of honest, thrifty, and . deserving settlers, registered as having / uiortgngedtheiriarms, sheep, dairy stock, furniture, etc., for sums that'are trilling ■ compared to the value of the securities, aud do .its, and the investors in turn liavo •. to pay a smart commission. To' rescue f >/ the people from usurers and money: changers is ono of the most important '. works that the stato can undertake, and lam glad to say that there is every likelihood of tlio task being well performed and without delay. Ithas'becu ■ g urged, over and over again, that the ™ 00VKHNMENT INTEND MBHOWIXG but in what senso docs the term apply P ■ If the Government thought proper to consolidate the loans of tho Harbour

Boards mid Borough Councils nil over ; the Colony, with a view of ■- providing tlicm with money at a reduced rate of interest, would it bo railed borrowing ? It may bo borrow ; ing, but not in tlio ordinary sense of the term. Advances ..tojscttteswill L ardly increase tlic natioual indebtedness so long as the interest on tlio guaranteed debentures or mortgages are covered.- Of course the liability is a contingent one, and the contingency that would necessitate tlio payment of the principal by the taxpayer is too remoto to bo seriously feared. Equally important as a factor in the circulation, iE not production nf cheap money is a State ; : currency. The metallic Juggernaut liaa dominated our commerce too long. It has been the source of unlimited gambling, Now that the peoplo have had their eves opened they will not res s satisfied until the State exercises the oxclusivo privileges of regulating tlio" currency or medium of exchange; an j operation that must be carried out on properly and clearly defined lines,— • The land for Settlement Bill providing for a compulsory taking of laud for the settlement purposes,'is a great departure in land legislation, The Bill has been passed by the Lower House, audunlcssit is emasculated iu another placo a measure will bo placed upon the Statute Book fraught with important consequences to every man, woman and child in the Colony. The repurchase and revesting of the land iu the peoplo is but tlio beginning of a prow that as it spreads from country to countryOBKAT AND BENEFICENT BKFOIIMS arp infccfiot|s-sliO!}ld bapli destitution aud social diseases liy plotting tlio ljumaii race in the garments of comfort, that an omnipotent I'rovidcuco designed, but wl|ioh barbarous laws ant} brufal creeds hayp for centuries laid asido, You will observe that pas. ■ sage of this njcasiirp lias occqsioqc4 some discussion on tlio question of laud tenure. Thorp jg a considerable scctiqu of tl|o Government party Tfpddejl to (ho Perpetual Ijeasp, mtli pcrioiljcpl re; valuation as against tlio lpasp in porpptu' ity, I do not agree with tliom, bocauso I tliinlc the lease inpcrpetuity which gives a tenure as fixed and secure as tlio freehold, ami places tlio poor aud wealthy on fairly equivalent terms as regards the acquisition of land, is better adapted to the present eircuinstauccs of the Colony than an insecure lease, which aims at the withdrawal from thcimproving occupier the uuearncd increment. I do not contend that as a matter of abstract right, the State is nob entitled to the full rental value of the laud; just as in time of war the State has a right by conscription to draw upon tlio lives of its subjects in defence of tlio eon}- y npiijvcaltll. But imlcss tlio presence of a grave necessity demands it, the toiling settlers should i|ot be made tjie subject of inordinate or special tpation. If lie}; U (ptional rcyeniie from land is requisite, it should bp fqiscd (lifough thp I|P(| Tax, jn lvhich ease jowiis and cities, as well as the country districts will liavo to contribute their quota. Tlio simnmis' accommodation Act lias been passed by the Houso, but its passage has shown that many members of the House have nothing moro than a superficial interest iu shearers' welfare. This Association has just received a copy of the llating 011 Uuimproved Value or Frontago Eating Act, its adoption if passed is to be left to the vote taken in the various localities. This method of rating has for years existed in Brisbane, Queensland., ajdicordiug to report has 1 worked adniirijßlt provides for levying rates on the unimproved value of land with the total exclusion of improvements. One of its olfects would be to prevent the holding of town sectious in an • unimproved state in order to realise fancy prices or in other words to appropriate tlic increment earned by tliosc who have improved."