THE PROPERTY TAX.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1819, 19 April 1888, Page 2

THE PROPERTY TAX.

(per press association.)

. Auokiand, April 18. A deputation of the Committee of the Auckland Financial Reform Association waited on the Hon. Mr Fißher yesterday morning and spbmitted to him a reßoiution passed at a recent meeting of the Association — " That m the opinion of this Aasociatlon the property tax is prejudicial to the prosperity of the colony." The deputation pointed oat that' this resolution was endorsed not only by all the member* of the Association but by a large majority of the public of Auckland. They thought that the tax ought to be abolished, and for several raaßons. la the fir»t placa it wa3 inequitable, secondly valuations under the tax were made onae m three years, and when made could not be altered until the lapao of thut time. Tho administration of the tax had a'eo baon very bad. Incompetent -valuers had been appointed, the buying and Belling o'*aae it seemed to them w»9 undefined, aod wa3 made evidently m a spirit which wou'd dclva a bargain to a degree. The impost had become a most odious one. If It was neoeßaary to levy a oett>in amount of taxation they uived that it should be raised m some other manner, and one member suggested that duties ba levied on tea and sugar bo as to maku up the deficiency caused were properly tax abolished. Mr Fisher, In rep'y, said It was extremely iuvldiotu to a3tc him to express an opinion with respect to the pnparty tax, bo t he must tell them he wonM neither advocate nor defend It. The Premier had lntitatad the property tax, and he (Mt Fiaher) must not go too far m discussing it. In a long and able epeeoh he referred to the great danger of " punishing " capital' by improper taxation, and thus driving it out of the colony. He agreed with the deputation as to the necessity for an lnoorae tax, but said that were the property tox arn!iehe.d some tax would have to be imposed m Ha plaoa.