The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. SATURDAY, MAY 7, 1892.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3091, 7 May 1892, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

SATURDAY, MAY 7, 1892.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political.

Tiie Premier and Sir George Grey have been interviewed by representatives of our rnorniny; contemporary. As that with the Premier is of the earlier date we will consider Mr Ballance's statements first. A.s has been his invariable custom he has laid great stress upon the fact that the finance of the year has resulted in a considerable surplus, he tells us of over £100,000. It should be needless to point out to the public that the facts he is so fond of dilating upon are the result of the poiicv of his predecessor, and are in no sense due to any actions of the present Ministry. It is gratifying to find that be has dropped the blustering tone with regard to the

Legislative Council, this is so, more particularly as the Premier's tall unci unconstitutional talk was makin" us tho laughing stock of all who had even a slight knowledge of constitutional government as it exists in all the selfgoverning colonies. He has now 'benefitted by the lessons in constitutionalism which have been given him through the columns of the responsible Press from one end of the colony to the other. He now admits that he has no right to ask Lord Glasgow to swamp the Upper House iii order to secure the passing of his measures, until after appeal had been made to the country on the specific questions in dispute between the two Houses. As to the question of dissolution, the statement of the Premier, that the Government would not attempt to bring about a dissolution early _in the coming session is qualified with so many "ifs" that it can, without imputing falsehood, be seriously iloubted. The crushing defeat of the Ministerial candidate for Bruce, in spite of the fact that two of the Ministry for the time descended from their exalted perches and accepted the position of election agents, is calculated to impress the lesson that the longer Wie time the people are allowed to think, less becomes the chance of victory at the ballot box. The words of Sir G. Gr«y to his interviewer are to the point, and we endorse them: "I think the less new legislation we have the better, and I certainly am unfortunate m thinking that an error was committed in trying to carry on legislation which it may be very difficult to amend, before the people were in a position really to assert what they wish." We have always disputed the claim which Mr Ballance has put forth that his policy is the declared will of the people. Sir George Grey, by the above remark, has endorsed our opinion. Ac the time of the general election there was no policy of Mr Ballance s before the country, and members m no instance were returned as his supporters. Retrenchment and the substitution of a land tax for the property tax, were the two planks upon whichsupportera of the Governnient were sent to Parliament. A land tax, however, in the form or that which has been passed was never sketched by any one of the speakers, not excluding irom the list Mr Ballance himself. Sir George Grey never contemplated the taxation of improvements and his proposed exemption from the tax only reached £300 in value. Mr Ballance never omits an opportunity to raise the false issue that all who are opposed to his land tax are favourable to the property tax rather than a land tax in any form, on the contrary their objection to his tax is mainly because in it is embodied the worst feature of the property tax— the taxation of improvements. That this taxation only commences very high up in the scale i 3 an additional objection as the result is class taxation and a breach of faith with those who have acquired land and paid for it in accordance with the law of the country. The same objection applies to the graduated scale. M» Ballance stated to his interviewer that the Government would gladly do without the tax on improvements were it possible to do so having in view safe finance. This profession accords very badly with the hint he threw out lately that he would increase the tax if it was found not sufficiently weighty to burst up the large estates —not because the safety of his finance might be involved. We quite endorse the action of the Government in repudiating all liability to the debenture holders of the Taranaki Harbour Board, the money was lent at a higher rate than the Government could borrow upon, for the reason that the security was known to be not so good. It is manifest therefore that the people who secured the higher rate of interest have no right to hold the Government liable, any more than a lender to an individual could claim to do. There was no Government guarantee given or implied. Tho interviewer of Sir Geo. Grey succeeded in abstracting very scant information as to his intentions. The whole may be summed up in the expressions, " I am a perfectly free man ; 1 am bound to no special person or any special thing;" which being interpreted means that he acts as the circumstances of the moment may appear to him desirable. Such is the position he has always taken. One remark, however, in reference to the high exemption from the tax on improvements should not be allowed to escape the memory of those who look to Sir George for guidance. He said : "The higher the exemption the more people you have to pillage the others." This coincides by inference with the argument we have urged more than once on those who under the graduated land tax escape contributing to the revenue. The Premier has declared that he hopes there will Dot be a freehold in the country within twenty years. In giving effect to this policy it is inevitable that every man with a freehold shall in his turn be subjected to the bursting up policy. Those who support at the poll the advocates of the graduated tax may rely upon it that they are pickling a rod for their own backs, if by so doing they keep Mr Ballance and his party in power. To apply Sir G. Grey's illustration, they will countenance robbery with the result that in the end, they will be robbed of the freehold they have worked and paid for.