The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-07-22
A DOCTORS VIEWS.
HOW THE UNITED STATES LOOK
TO FOREIGNERS.
Palaces and Poverty-Look at New
Zealand.

Ze0lau0.
20, wad some power the giftie gle us.
To see oursels as ithers see u.s.
have seen many peoples in many
lands, but have always been careful to
have the Stars and Stripes with me to
look upon for inspiration. have been
profoundly shocked at seeing gross in
justice heaped upon the fellaheen of
Egypt; but that was not as pitiful as the
abject way in which they received their
hardships, blows and cuffs. I have never
seen such magnificent wheat and other
crops as l saw in the valley of the God
given Nile; yet have never seen peo-
pie so miserably housed and fed. In Je-
rusalem, Damascus and Constantinople I
have had to go to the historic money
changer" and buy change, small denom-
nations Of money being so scarce as to
command premium. could not help
wishing that these people could look at
themselves and their country, particu-
larly their government, through my
American eyes.
When I returned in August, 1893,
HuBq eQl 10 9no Asuom Hm 4eS 4ou pfnoo
In which / had placed it, although the
bank claimed at that time to be- and still
Is, solvent and highly respectable in
stftution; and, bless you! had to buy
(pay a premium for) currency with
which to pay duties to the United States
government! I began to see that need
not go SO far as the Orient to find imper-
fection in government. The evidences
of imperfect government that we have
all seen In the past two years need not
be reviewed.
/ thought that these distant peoples
would be benefited If they could be
brought to see themselves as saw them.
Would 1t not be as desirable for us ''to
see ourselves rs others see us?" Let us
try 1t for column or two.
Hon. A. D. Willis. of New Zealand,
says:
In travelling through this country and
Canada I am greatly impressed with
your condition. The fabulous wealth of
some q your corporations and citizens.
whilst almost in the shadows of their
mansions live people who have not the
bare necessities Of life, are conditions
made by legislation. You made q grave
mistake when you gave so much of your
land and other natural resources to pri-
vate corporations which have become
private monOpolies 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 Balance,
discovered 1t, and now have that mis-
take almost rectified. In our country we
have two parties viz: the Liberals and
the Conservatives. The Liberals are the
class who believe in legislation for the
benedt OF the poor and letting the rich
take care OF themselves, while the Con-
servatives hang around the van and
shout, No! no! You'll ruin the country
We have killed the monopolies, and
therefore have no corruption in high
places; dishonest act by public officer
not having been heard of for years. The
government owns and operates both the
railroad and telegraph 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 grad
uated land tax law which exempts home
Reads, to a certain number of acres
from taxation. Every acre, however
above the homestead limit is taxed, and
the larger the holdings the higher be-
comes the rate of taxation. All lands
not In use are also taxed, and the gov
ernment stands ready to buy land Of any
character at it's assessed valuation. It
is then cut into homesteads and sold
for the SAM price to any one who wants
to buy, provided they pay six per cent
Per annum, of which one ler cent applies
to a sinking fund and pays the entire
principal in thirty-three years. The
government will aways loan money on
real estate to individuals to the extent
Of three-flfth Of the valuation of such
real estate at the rate Of five per cent
per annum. We also collect graduated
income 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 fact If man
becomes destitute we set him to work
on i've acres of land in one Of the three
Villages reserved for that purpose. He
builds house, cultivates the soil and
otherwise improves the property, for
which valuable service the government
pays him in money. After the first wear
he becomes self-supporting, and begins
to reimburse the government by making
small payments annually, until after a
number OF years the property becomes
his.
Neither have we such thing as pen
SONS When man goes to work for the
government he is required to take out
life insurance policy, which he usually takes
In the government company because Of the
much lower rates. If he is killed or dis
abled his family draws the face Of the pol
icy, but If he lives to certain age 1t be-
comes an annuity, and pays him certain
premium yearly, the principal payable to
his heirs after death. The banks, too, are
under the supervision OF the government.
When the Australian panic occurred it
frightened the depos.tors In the Bank of
New Zealand, but the government imme-
diately took charge OF it and guaranteed It
for E2,000,000, which restored the conf
dence of the public, and we had no bank
failures. The government is still in pos
session, and whether it will remain SO or
not will be determined at this session Of
Parliament"
DR.. George H. Raymond, of Australia,
oays:
Although capitalism rules in the big
lesand' away down in the Pacific, Australia