TAXES MADE HATEFUL AND UNBEARABLE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2081, 25 October 1880, Page 3

TAXES MADE HATEFUL AND UNBEARABLE.

To the Editor of the Glove.

Sib, —Of all the bungling miserable impositions of modern times, surely the present so-called Property Tax is the worst- After being kept in suspense and bothered for six months, we learn for the first time from Saturday night's Globe that the Act requires all persons owning property to return filled up forms, giving all particulars of the same to the Government, on or before Monday next, October 25th, failing which they will be liable to £IOO fine and three times the amount of the tax ; and few, I believe, have the least idea what that is likely to be, and still fewer that they are individually required to obtain forma and tax themselves, the doing of which will doubtless engage the time and attention of many on the Lord's Day, which will certainly not add to the popularity of the tax at home or abroad ; for no sooner will the returns be made up here than the results will be flashed' Home, and the world will then be able to form its own opinion as to our present state, &c. It is already pretty well known what onr indebtedness is. They will then have the Government returns of our assets up to date, and draw th«iir own conclusions. We may talk of the thousands of acres of land we possess, Ac, but it is well-known that a lot of is would not make what it cost half adozen years since, and that tens of thousands of acres are now so overrun with rabbits as to be almost valueless and that the pest is spreading, and it is well known that good laud is obtainable in Canada, the States, &0., at a mere nominal price, and that bone and sinew here are now at a discount. It is well known that a country cannot flourish when such is the case. They will learn from our bankers' report, so we read it, that as low as interest is in London they can now make more of it there than here, and people will most assuredly be very careful how they bring oapital out here to be heavily taxed, which fact the present Government appear to have overlooked or ignored, and are to be blamed accordingly. I am, &c, A SUFEERER. Ootober 23rd.

[We quite agree with " Sufferer " that sufficient publioity as to the sending in of property tax returns has not been given by Government, although a notice on the subject has appeared in the " Gazette." As to bis gloomy views, however, on the general outlook we are happy to think that the public at large will not ai>ree with him.— Ed. Globe.]