Page 3 Advertisements Column 1

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 497, 19 April 1881, Page 3

The New York Independent tea stalwart ndvocateof the taxation of churches. It says in a recent issue, " There is a very large amount of xhurch property in this country, and it is increasing every year; and much of it consists in ~ extravagant church structures, costly far beyond any I necessity that has a basis , irl utility, and owned by weel'hy congregations., We have never seen.:.apy .good leaeon why this property should not be put upon the ♦» assessor's list, and by a fair valuation made to share with other property in the tax burden of society. It is not public property any more than that of a bank corporation, or that of. a manufacturing 10 company. It ie private property, held, controlled, and owned by a religious corporation for its own purposes. The fact that the use of thie property is beneficial to society is no reason for its exemption from taxation. We concede the fact, but deny .the inference sought to be drawn from it. Nearly v.-\ private property is, in its ii Mγbeneficial to society ; arA yet thip is not' reg-'uieJ as ?i reason for exempting it from taxation. Tlie reasoning is no better when applied to church property.