Page 2 Advertisements Column 2

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2705, 12 November 1889, Page 2

Special Advertisements. Jg| LIOCTO RA T K 0 F WAI PA. J TO THE HONOURABLE JOHN , BRYCE. i *"'we, the undersigned electors of VVaipa, j respectfully request you lo allow your- , self to be nominated to represent this constituency in the General Assembly, a vacancy having occurred through the lamentable death of our late member, Major .Jackson. V* e consider taru j./Ul re-entry in-o active political life in the present position of pnblic alTairs will lie of great value to the colony, and we pledge ourselves to use every endeavour to secure your return. To Messrs J. W. Ellis, P. McDonnell. EKNKriT WICIUIAM, AND THE OTHER Folk Hundrku and En; iitv-six KLKCTOKS SICSXIN't TIIE A ROVE Requisition". Gentlemen,— I have received by telegraph an inti* mation that the requisition has heen posted in which you have done me the honour to ask me to become a candidate for the Waipa seat, vacant by the lamentable death of my late friend, Major Jackson, whose untimely end we all so much deplore. I recognise your request as an especial honour considering that I have no individual connection with the Waipa district, and little personal acquaintance with most of the gentlemen signing the requisition._ 1 have never made popularity a principal aim, but it is a satisfaction to me that I bear a good reputation among my fellow-colonists, as is evident from your present action. I recognise the public spirit you exhibit, and the high compliment it implies to myself, and in placing my services at your disposal I do so in the fullest confidence that you will not be likely to regret the trust you will have placed in me. 1 had hoped to have visited your district previous to the election, but the near approach of the day of nomination renders it impossible to hold, in a satisfactory manner, those public meetings which are customary and proper. 1 hope to be able to address you on public aflairs | at no distant date, but meanwhile it is not difficult to give a general sketch ot my political creed. lu things political I endeavour to be moderate in my views and actions, try to regard legislation, administration, and the industrial pursuits of th. ; colonists in a direct and common sense aspect. My opponents may say that "direct and common sense '' in my case really means "narrow and common place, but is a distinction which I am content to remit i to your judgment. I feel the most loyal | desire to promote the settlement of the land, and the establishment of manufacturing iudustriessuitahle to the colony, but I have no sympathv with fanciful legislation, fadicai theories, or crude political nostrums on these or any other subjects, and 1 havo as little sympathy with all taxation which is not demanded and justified by the imperative requirements of the State. New Zealand in my opinion will never be a cheaply governed country, but every effort, consistent with etlieiency, should be made to economise the administration of its ailairs. Ihe improvement of local government must lie looked to as h chief factor in bringing about the desired end, and in my opinion there is yet ample room for retrenchment in the departments of the General Government. I share the opinion which I hope now lamely prevails, that an indulgence in I the*luxury of borrowed money involves the most serious dangers, direct and indirect to the well-being of the eo.ony, and while not prepared to say there should be no further loins for all time, I should certainly regard renewed borrowing proposals with profound distrust, anil should demand strong proofs as to their necessity. Indeed I venture to express a hope that the idea of reducing our mdebtednass by the repayment of loans will not always be deemed wild and impracticable. I believe it is a happy thing for the country that native affairs do not now » occupy .1 large spaas in its politics, lhe treatment of native land appears to be almost the only remaining question peculiar to the Maoris. The natives themselves have so deep a distrust of all legislation affecting their land that a law on the subject:, to use Ji common expression, satisfactory to races, is scarcely to be hoped for. \ViLh the_ ascertainment and individualisation of title, the time will come, however, in the not distant future when native land (with the exception of reserves) will be lund by the same unrestricted title, with the same ri»hts and the same duties, in which land islicld by Europeans. This, it. is true, does not. realise my own views on the subject, but it seems the best we can look forward to with any reasonable hope ot fulfilment. I should have concluded my address in reply to your requisition at this point had I not been asked to allude to three separate matters of political concern—railways. property-tax, and reduction of members of the House. As to our railways, 1 have always held the opinion that the management has endeavoured too closely to imitate the European administration, forgetting that in older countries the railways are generally private property, that the population is dense, and that the other conditions are very dill'erent from ours. I believe that this "besetting sin " accounts for it great dual that is com plained of in "railway management. Again, I never felt much confidence that the handing over of the contiol of the working railways to a Board of Commissioners would produce all the benefits the advocates of that plan expected from it. but I agreed to the experiment being tried, and having done so I am willing to five the Commissioners a fair trial for the remaining term of theii ollice without attempting to supersede their functions by the introduction of a fresh system, or systems. As to the Property-tax 1 should be sorry to attempt the_ defence _of any tax pa' pc, and it is plain that in this instance the Property-tax invites criticism by being a direct tax, moreover it has the further disadvantage that the valua tions on which it is based aie fiequcntly excessive, unequal and unjust. In this respect beyond doubt improvement is required. But having that, I have to add that the revenue derived from the tax appears to be necessary to the Govcrnmeut of the colony, and 1 am unable to see any mode of direct taxation by which it could be suitably replaced. A Land and Income tax lias been mentioned, but even under the Property-tax land is taxed to well-nigh the limit of its capacity to pay. and of the Income tax it must be said that it is felt to be inquisitorial and obnoxious wherever it exists. In New Zealand grave additional difficulty aud uncertainty would arise from the small degree in which fixed > incomes exist, and a very slight examlii 1 ation of the subject will show that such a 2 tax. to produce the necessary amount, ' would require to be high t) an oppressive 3 extent. I hope that bad features ill the - Property Tax may be mitigated or re--1 moved, but speaking with some sense of i responsibility, lam bound to say I see r no chance of that " immediate repeal r which is sometimes demanded, nor could ; I undertake to advocate such a course. In the reduction of the number of the members for the House of Representatives no principle is involved. It is in fact a mere determination of the most proper number required for legislative purposes, havin« regard to the population and . other Circumstances of the colony. In " my opinion the reduced number is not . too small. Indeed, I should have no ob--3 jection to see the House still further ; reduced to, say, sixty members. In conclusion, gentlemen, I assure you r that if you do me the honor to elect ine ' a a your" representative, I shall endeavour