THE PREMIER ON TAXATION.

Evening Star, Issue 4078, 22 March 1876, Page 3

THE PREMIER ON TAXATION.

A special telegram to the ‘Daily Times* states * that at the conclusion of the Premier’s Speech at Wanganui he was asked whether it was the intention of the Government to propose additional taxation during next session, to which Sir Julius made reply that if the Government had made up its mind on the subject there would be no objection to stating wbat the conclusion come to was, but he could give his assurance that the Government hod come . to no conclusion upon the subject. He might say that they did' ■ not go with those theorists who contended that whether or not extra taxation was .desirable, a property, tax and income tax would be acceptable. Those taxes could no doubt be very well paid by the country, but would be a very meat nuisance, and be exceedingly unpopular. He was of opinion that the Government should not propose such taxation, unless it was absolutely necessary. It must be recollected though, that as the railways'become more completed, they would give larger returns. The railways already constructed were now paying, and it was a great result .that over and above their working expenses they were recouping about half the interest, on what the Colony had borrowed for their construction.—(Applause.) The lines were at {iresent merely fragmentary, and it was right to ook for greater results when they were completed, and ran from end. to end of each island. If the Colony could tide over without additional taxation for'a time,. he might get on without it altogether. He would much rather that New Zealand should be looked upc as a > olony without a property or an income tax than that it should follow the ezatnpl* of Victoria. He hoped the Government would be able to avoid such a course; they would endeavor to avoid it, and he believed they would succeed in doing so.