Page 2 Advertisements Column 2

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2706, 14 November 1889, Page 2

Special Advertisements!. L K COR AT E 0 F W A L VA. TO THE HONOURABLE -lOHN BItYCE. SIH. — We, t he undersigned electors of Waipa, respectfully request you to allow yourself 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. We consider that your re-entry into active political life in the present position of public affairs will be of great value to the colony, and we plecfge ourselves to use every endeavour to secure your return. To Messrs J. W. Ellis, I'. McDonnell, Ernest Wick ham, and the OTnuK FOI'U HuNDKKP AN'i> Eicmity-SIX Electors Sioxrxo tiie Above Requisition. Gentlemen, — . . I have received by telegraph an intimation that the requisition has been posted in which you have done me the honour to ask me to become a candidate for tho 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 I have never made popularity a principal aim, but it is a great 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.

r I had hoped to have visited your district previous to the election, but the near 1 approach of the day of nomination renders it impossible to hold, in a satisfactory manner, those public meetings ' which are customary and proper. I hope ' to be able to address you on public affairs at no distant date, but meanwhile it is 1 not difficult to give a general sketch of ' my political crecd. : 111 things political I endeavour to be moderate in my views and actions. 1 try to regard legislation, administration, . and the industrial pursuits of tin: colonists in a direct and common sense aspcct. My opponents may say that "direct aud common sense " in my case really means '' narrow and common place, but this is a distinction which I am content to remit to your judgment. I feel the most loyal desire to promote the settlement of the land, aud the establishment of manufacturing industriessui table to tne eoiony, but ' I have no sympathy with fanciful legislation, fadicai theories, or crude political nostrums on these or any other subjects, and I have 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 cllieieiiw}, should be made to economise the administration of its affairs, lhe improvement of locil government must be looked to as u chief factor iu bringing about the desired end, and in my opinion thcie is yet ample room for retrenchment in the departments of the General Government. I share the opinion which I hope now largely prevails, that an indulgence in the"luxury of borrowed money involves the most serious dangers, direct and indirect to the well-being of the colony, aud while not prepared to say thereshould be no further loans for all time, I should certainly regard renewed borrowing proposals with profound distrust, and should demand strong proofs as to their necessity. Turlcerl I ventuve to ex pi ess a. hope that the idea of reducing oar indebtednsss by the repayment of loans will not always be deemed wild aud impracticable. I believe it is a happy thing for the country that native affairs do uot now occupy a large space 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 a common expression, "satisfactory to both_ races/' is scarcely to be hoped for. With the ascertainment and iudividualisatiou of title, the time will come, however, in the not distant future when native land (with the exception of reserves) will be held by the same unrestricted title, with same rights and the same duties, in whicn land is held 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 of fulfilment. I should have concluded my address in reply to your requisition at this point had 1 not been asked to allude to three sepa - rate matters of political concern—rail-

ways, property-tux, and reduction of members of the House. As to our railways, 1 have alwavs held I.he opiniou that tie.* management has endeavoured too closely to imitate the European administration, forgetting that iu older countries the railways are genetally private property, that the popu.atiou is dense, and that the other conditions are very different from ours. I believe that this " besetting sin " accounts for a great deal that is complained of in "railway management. Again. I never felt much confidence that the handing over of the control of the working railways to a Board of Com--1 missiouers would producc all the benehts ! the advocates of that plan expected from | it but I agreed to the experiment being tried, and having done so l am willing to give the Commissioners a fair trial for the remaining term of tlieit office without attempting to supersede their functions by the introduction of a fresh system, or systems. As to the Property tax I should be 1 sorry to attempt the defence of any tax per and it is plain that in this instance the Property-tax invites cruieism by being a direct tax, moreover it has the further disadvantage that tho valua tious ou which it is based aio fieqiiently excessive, unequal and unjust. In this respcct beyond doubt improvement is required. But having 1 have

to add that the revenue derived from the tax appears to be necessary to the Government of the colony, and I am unable to sea any mode of direct taxation by which it .aouM be suitably replaced. A Land and Income tax has been mentioned, but even under the Property-tax land is taxed to welUnigh the limit of its capacity to pay, and of the Income tax it must 1)2 said that it is felt to be inquisitorial and obnoxious wherever it exists. In New Zealand grave additional difficulty and uncertainty would arise from the Sir.il! degree in which fixed laconics exist, and a very slight examination of the subject will show that such a tax, to produce the necessary amount, would require to be high 40,711 oppressive extent. 1 hope that Uul features in the Property Tax may be mitigated cf removed, but speaUinjr with some sense of responsibility, J am bound to say I see no chance of that " immediate repeal which is sometimes demandedj nor eouul [ undertake to advocate such a course. j' B the reduction of the number of the ■numbers for the House of Representatives io principle is involved. It is in fact a Here determination of the most proper lumber required foir legislative purposes, laving regard to 'the population and >ther circumstances of t-.ie ,cftte»y. In nv opinion the reduced number is j»ot 00 small. Indeed, I should have 00 obection to see the House still further ■educed to, say, sixty members. 11l conclusion, gentlemen, I assure you 'ha't it you do me the honor to elcct me .8 your i-spresentative, I shall eudeavour