REPLY TO "ENQUIRER."

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue XXXII, 9 March 1889, Page 2

REPLY TO "ENQUIRER."

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—Some two months ago one under the name of "Elector" tackled me upon the State owning the land. Housed the same arguments as " Enquirer" now does. I may say that abstract theories as to what would happen in the future if such and such was done cannot be disproved by me, if by anyone. One may say such would happen in the future, but to such you have only to come down to practical right and wrong and these theorists are nowhere. At the time "Elector " and I wore writing tor and against, I stated that there would be unearned increment in spite of all creation. I brought forward the Pacific Isles, now uninhabited by white people. By and by one or two whites would take up their habitation in these Isles and sutler all the evils of living along with barbarism. Others would follow, and in soma fifty years from this there would be cities, and was it not right and proper that these first settlers should have the unearned increment ? I have just the same answers to "Enquirer." Would it be right that, say Dr. Campbell the father of Auckland, who squatted down in a tent on a fern hillside which is now Queen - street, would it be right that the laud which he then settled down upon, and had to undergo all sort of hardships, and risk of his life to remain upon, would it be right for anyone, perhaps "Enquirer" to come hero twenty years afterwards and claim equal right to the unearned increment ? Why it would be nothing else but downright robbery. "Enquirer " refers to myself ; if I had an acre here in Harapipi, which is now, say worth £10, and if by increase of population it would be wurth £10,000, he says the State should have the tU.OUO, because I did not earn the increased value. " Enquirer " does not know what ho is talking about. I came to Harapipi before it was surveyed. I had to help to put up a redoubt to protect ourselves from the natives, There have been hard up times in Harapipi; I have lived on poaches, eels, and old wild sows, that were all snout and skin and bone ; I have for a long time drank bidy bidy for tea, and now some robber of a communist, who is always wanting what don't belong to him, now when there are roads and bridges and all other benefits of civilisation, who had nothing to do with the hardships of building up the New Country, would come and take the hard earned and justly earned increment from me. .Shame upon you, " Koquirer;" are you devoid of all ideas of mouni and tuiun V— Yours truly, Harapipi.