The Feilding Star. SATURDAY, APRIL, 4, 1891. Taxing the Farmers

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 121, 4 April 1891, Page 2

The Feilding Star. SATURDAY, APRIL, 4, 1891. Taxing the Farmers

In his speech at the Hokitika banquet oil Wednesday night, Mr Seddon is reported to have said that the cardinal point of the Government policy was the repeal of the Property Tax and the imposition of a graduated Land Tax, and he predicted a very hard struggle next session, especially by the large landholders and their friends, against this policy. We certainly agree with Mr Seddon in anticipating that the measures indicated will be i stoutly opposed in the House, but not I in the order, or manner, indicated. That the repeal of the Property Tax will be allowed i£ such repeal is on its own merits, is probable but if it is made a condition , that it is ouly to be passed if the Houae will accept a graduated Land Tax, then we, feel assured that the fight will be long and obstinate before the new tax is permitted to be forced on the farmers and settlers, or rather, as the Ministers prefer to call them, "landholders," who are represented in Parliament. Itsounds well at a banquet to hint at the " landholders" as aa objectionable class, fit only for taxation, and, no doubt, each hearer has in his minds j eye thousands of bloated capitalists I who own millions of acres, whereas the truth is there are actually comparatively few of them, while, on the other hand, the owners of small farms ranging from fifty acres to five hundred outnumber them by thousands. In aiming at the destruction of the " bloated capitalist" the Ministry must strike the small farmers, and possibly do them iacalculable injury. In this district we have more cause for alarm on that point than perhaps any other part of the colony, seeing that the whole of our population, no matter what is their business, are dependent upon the farmers, . whether agiicultural or pastoral. What effects the latter, effects everybody else. If they are prosperous all others are doing well, and vice versa. At pres sent we. are advancing on the flood tide of prosperity, and it seems a pity that ruin should be threatened merely to gratify the fads of shoddy liberals.