MR GISBORNE, M.H R., AT ROSS.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1601, 7 April 1879, Page 3

MR GISBORNE, M.H R., AT ROSS.

The following extracts are from the speech of the Hon. Mr Gisborne at Ross :

I will now speak to you of colonial matters. I told you last year I would support adjustment of taxation, extension of franchise, and the establiuhment of liberal land laws. As to the adiustment of taxation, the principle of taxation is that persons are made to contribute towards the revenue according to their means. I will now take as an illustration of this the taxation of the necessaries of life. The rich man could not consume more than the pom* man, so the poor man contributed more in proportion to his means than the rich man—that was the case in this colony. Steps were taken last session to remedy this evil, and part of the duties taken off tea and sugar, and land was taxed. Consumers of necessaries of life will not. now have to pay so much as formerly, and what fairer tax is there than that imposed upon land ? It is fair that land should be made to contribute towards the revenue, as the land is improved by the Public Works Policy and railways. Then again, look at absentee landowners. Their property is not only being improved at public cost, but they do not contribute one sixpence to the revenue. I object to the way in which the land tax was imposed. It cost too much in proportion to the proceeds. I should like to have eeen more duty taken off tea and sugar, and land taxed houvier, and land should also be taxed for improvements. Land with improvements should pay more, as more revenue under the protection of the Sisi'.e was d'-n'vrd therefrom. Besides a tax on land there should also bo an income tax. As land up to £SOO is exompted from taxation, so also should incomes be exempted up to £2OO or £3OO a year, but above that amount incomes should be taxed. Land proprietors did not like the land tax, and some say that the revenue received in that way should bo spent on local works in the district from whence it was derived. If that was done it would only be a local tax ; but the tax is a colonial one, and was specially,imposed to relieve the poor man by enabling the duties on the necessaries of life to be reduced. I say I approve of the land tax, but could not approve of two Bills aown by the G/oyernment last seßeion

•• one ol which #ub to tax joint stocfc companies, 'i-nH the of'ier to p'uJC9 * tax on beer. Beer, if riot a necessary of _ life, is an article of such general consumption that it would be taxing the laboring man. The manufacture of colonial beer was a local industry, ;md should, therefore, not be taxed. I opposed both Bills. The B?er Duly Bill was thrown out, and the other Bill was withdrawn. I come now to the eltension of the franchise. I approved of the Government" Bills dealing with the mutter, with one . exception, which provided that a two years' residence in the colony was necessary before a vote could be claimed. I believe in manhood suffrage. The improvement of local self government is my next subject. I was not in the House when Provinces were abolished, or I should have been inclined to post pone even that until some other efficient form of self-government was substituted. Parliament constituted a lot of County Councils without anything like the administrative power of a Provincial Council, leaving Road Boards as they were before, and there were many conflicts and uncertainties between these two bodies. County Councils could not in many instances, maintain main roads. Some of them do not know who has to maintain the main roads —Government will not. It will be a question to be considered next session whether or not. the power and means of County Councils ehould be extended. I don't want to see centralism increased, as people do not like to have to refer local matters to Wellington. On the education question, Mr Gisborne said :—There is one other general question — that is, education. I am sorry to say that upon this subject there has been raised a religious cry. I deprecate that issue. In the interests of education and of religion itself, I hope it will not continue to sow discord among different sects. I am not a denominaticrmlist, if that means the State is to assist any bft'd'y to teach religion at public expense. I am d secularist if that means that the State should' wily spend money to secure secular education. Without infringing on secular education the same may be done as was the case in Westland before the present system was introduced. If any clasc had conscientious scruples in availing themselves of State schools, rad showed the genuineness of those scruples by building schools at their own cost, they cowld be assisted to have schools of their own on these conditions —That no religious instruction be imparted to those whose parents did not desire it, and that a certain amount of secular education was secured, and that the schools were open to official inspection. That system worked well in Hawke's Bay, Nelson, and Westland, and the Education Bill by upsetting that system inflicted a cruel wrong. I will support Mr Curtis's Bill in order to have that system restored. On the subject of the expenditure of money on public works in Westland, he Said : If the West Coast members make a firm stand in the House next session, I believe Parliament, will be made to own that the West Coa t has not had its fair share of public expe,- diure. While other parts of the colony had seven or eight years' start of the West Coast, the lattor had produced nearly half of the gold exported from the colony. There was not a sudden increase or decrease, but the production had been steady, and for the last three years the quantity had been increasing.