The Louisiana populist., 1895-06-28
| PEOPLES COUNTRY.
NEW ZEALAND AS DEPICTED
BY EPRESENTATIVE MAN.
Populist Ideas in Force - Governments
Owrs and Operates the Railroads and
Telegraph-Free Land and Nc Mo-
nopolies of Corruption.
The Call (Seattle.)

leading printer of that country and a
member of the New Zealand parlia-
ment, stopped over night in this city,
homewacd bound from England. Mr..
Willis has been absent from home
some months, having been on busi-
ness trip to Germany, England and the
United States. Ho has been inspecting
the latest improved printing and ruling
machinery manufactured within the
three above named countries. 1t is
needless to say that he has made part
OF his purchases from American firms.
From personal appearance one
would hardly select him as one Of the
advisers of the best poor mans coun-
try In the world. In size he is about
medium, very compactly built, about 40
years old, blue eyes, and wears NUT
ton chop whiskers which with his hair
is slightly gray. But speak to him
ABOUT tho latest work in the art of
printing, or, better still, about the gov
ernment OF New Zealand: his eyes win
Immediately light up and you will find
that you are in contact with a man
Just chuck full of information and en-
ergy. When seen at the Hotel But
Ter Saturday night by a representa-
tive OF the Call, he at first declined to
De interviewed, but when assured that
the government of New Zealand had
been much discussed of late in this part
Oh the world and the readers of the Call
would peruse every word he said with
interest, he finally consented. Said
he:
In travelling through this country
and Canada / am greatly impressed
with your condition. The fabulous
wealth of some of your corporations
and citizens, while almost in the
shadows of their mansions live people
VINO have not the bare necessities of
life, are conditions made by legislation.
You made grave mistake when you
gave SO much Of your land and other
natural resources to private corpora
tions which have become private mono
poles and who will drain you worse
and worse every year until the end,
which no man fully knows. We made
the same mistake, but years ago
through the teachings of John Bal
lance, discovered it, and now have that
mistake almost rectified. In our coun-
try We have two parties, viz: the liber-
ais and the conservatives. The liber-
ais are the class who believe in legisla-
tion for the benefit of the poor and let
ting the rich take care of themselves,
while the conservatives hang around
the van and shout No. no! You'll ruin
the country We have killed the mo-
nopolies and therefore have no corrup-
ton in high places; a dishonest act by a
public officer not having been heard of
for years. The government owns and
operates both the railroads and tele-
graph lines, which are run entirely in
the interest of commerce without profit
to any London or New York aristocrat.
"The land, too, is practically free
from the land monopolist, as we have a
graduated land tax law which exempts
homesteads, to a certain number of
acres, from taxation. Every acre, how
ever, above the homestead limit is
taxed and the larger the holdings the
higher becomes the rate of taxation
All lands not in use are also taxed
and the government stands ready to
buy land of any character at its as
sessed valuation. 1t Is then cut into
homesteads and sold for the same price
to any one who wants to buy, provided
they pay 6 per cent per annum, of
which per cent applies to a sinking
fund and pays the entire principal in
thirty-three years. The government
will always loan money on real estate
to individuals to the extent of three
fifths of the valuation of such real es-
tate, at the rate of per cent per an
mum. We also collect a graduated in
come tax and have given the option to
cities to practice single tax. We have
no monopolies, and better still, we have
no paupers. This may seem strange to
you but nevertheless it is a fact; If
man becomes destitute we set him to
work on five acres Of land in one of the
three villages reserved for that pur-
pose. He builds house, cultivates the
soil and otherwise improves the prop
erty, for which valuable service the
government pays him in money. After
the first year he becomes self support
ing and begins to reimburse the gov
ernment by making small payments
annually. until after number of years
the property becomes his.
Neither have we such thing as pen
sions. When man goes to work for
the government he is required to take
out life insurance policy, which he
usually takes in the government COM
pany because of the much lower rates.
II he is killed or disabled his family
draws the face of the policy, but if he
lives to certain age it becomes an an
nuity and pays him a certain premium
yearly, the principal payable to his
heirs after death. The banks, too, are
under the supervision Of the govern
ment- When the Australian panic oc-
Cured 1t frightened the depositors in
the bank Of New Zealand, but the gov
ernment Immediately took charge of 1t