Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1864.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IV, Issue 207, 30 December 1864, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1864.

Mr. Fitziiereert’s remedy for the financial difficulties into which this country has drifted is by no means original ; but while lacking originality, it is not wanting in severity, and in proportion to its severity, so is it likely to prove a failure. The new tariff at the Custom House was published by us last week, from which it would seem that the discriminating wisdom of the present Colonial Treasurer has hit upon the happy expedient for getting out of his monetary troubles of taxing all classes, rich and poor, with pleasing impartiality. Of this we are certain, that what is called the “ Customs revenue” as raised upon articles which from constant use have become necessaries of life to the people, such as tea, sugar, flour, and clothing, will prove anything but a means of raising the wind. Not only do taxes, whether through the Custom House or otherwise, laid upon articles materially affect the consumption of those articles, but in a new country like this it will soon be found to affect the number of the consumers. Men of means are not very likely to come to this country to have their means reduced by fiscal exactions, for clearly if it comes to that, there is small benefit in leaving.the old coun. try, where, if taxed, a man gets something for his money, to come here, where if taxed, he will most assuredly get nothing at all for it. Taxing is bad and grievous to be borne, even when it goes towards the maintenance of a good Government and the security of life and property ; but here such luxuries are not to be dreamt of as matters stand at present, and all that the tax-payer will see as coming of his money will be a perfect swarm of Government officials, and all sorts of monstrous waste and extravagance.

We have but just to look at Hawke’s Bay for a very pointed example of the manner in which the .£2,000,000 of money has gone. There are no less than three stockades built in this Province, at a cost of not less than /■ '.0,000. Now these stockades, at the best, aie very nearly useless as places of defence, and, in fact, appear in our eyes rather as expensive indications of our fears than as buildings likely to strike teri’or into the minds of the Maories.

Then we have a host of officials, Civil Commissioners and Resident Magistrates, all so many pensioners on the bounty of the country, and that unfortunately without having at any time rendered themselves, by their services, deserving. of that consideration.

Further on we find a large amount down fur the payment of Militia, as though our people were such poor-spirited fellows as to expect payment for defending their own lives and properties. It is as though one came to another’s house, and said to his friend, “ Your house will be burnt, and your life taken ; arm and defend yourself !” and. he should say in answer, “ My good Sir, what you say is no doubt very correct, but I don’t feel prepared to follow your, advice, unless you pay me for doing so.” Before our financiers enter into such ela borate schemes for raising nioney, they should first of all stop up some of the gaps through which that'money rims with such astonishing swiftness when got. Nor do we think that the exigencies of the country demand this extravagant outlay of cash which is going on. It never occurs, apparently, to

our Government to enter into a earful consideration of the vast sums which are annually* squandered away, but without more ado eadh successive Government permits prodigal wastefulness to go on unchecked, and endeavors to mitigate that evil by taxing the hard-working settler as by far the easiest of two courses.

If, then, it had been proposed to raise money, having first carefully’ expunged froru the Estimates 'alf superfluous, expehditure, by levying a tax upon the squatters, and upon the sheepfarmers and land owners, then we should have looked with calm complacency upon the .proceeding. But such is the miserable cowardice of the Governments which hold sway in this, country, that rather than face the opposition of these classes of people, and .manfully get the country out of its difficulties, they plunge further and further into the mire- by- weak and partial legislation.

There is no class of people in this country at this time who ought to be more heavily taxed than the squatters on Native lands. They contribute nothing to the general revenue; they pay nothing whatever, except a small sum through the Customs, the niainta nance of the country, but they derive the most tremendous profits out of it, and many of them glory and boast in being thus exempt from all calls upon their pockets, and laugh to scorn the idea of assisting the working settler who seeks to make himself a home in the island, and who has to. pay all sorts of vexatious imposts. Until the squatters be made to disgorge some portion of their profits, and until a tax of a halfpenny per pound is laid upon all wool exported, we shall not readily get out of our financial difficulties, and the country will be retarded in its progress, and the Maories will reign supreme in the land. So great are the profits, at present demed from a properly managed sheep station, that the owner can well afford to contribute sbmething out of thosh .profits towards the liquidation of debts mostly incurred with a view to maintain those profits, or the sources of those profits, intact. And besides all which, taxes imposed upon articles of this description and upon laud are very fair in their working, for those who ma e much out of-the. country should contribute much towards- its support, and by consequence towards the greater chance of making mure yet. and those who gain little should contribute little, and in proportion us their chances in getting rich are small.