The Hawke's Bay Times, Published every Monday and Thursday. MONDAY, 3rd: SEPTEMBER, 1866. DIRECT TAXATION V. CUSTOMS DUTIES.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 8, Issue 408, 3 September 1866, Page 2

The Hawke's Bay Times, Published every Monday and Thursday.

MONDAY, 3rd: SEPTEMBER, 1866. DIRECT TAXATION V. CUSTOMS DUTIES.

“Ktrrtius ADbicTua jceakb' in'Vbkba uagistui.’’

Ax a time when,, on the question of Supply, a ministry has suffered defeat, have resigned their seats, and has . been replaced by another whose policy must, in-some respectsat least, be cast in a different mould from theirs,—it seems fitting, that the whole fiscal' system of the Colony should be subjected to a searching examination, with a view to remedy the evilsnnder which; as a Colony, we groan, in consequence of the weight of taxation pressing upon us, and the absolute necessity of increased supplies to meet the need of the Government A moment’s consideration will suffice to convince any reasonable person that the taxes paid by the colonists of New Zealand—being greater in amount per head, we believe, than is paid by any other people under the sun,—should amply ■suffice to meet all the requirements of government; and so indeed they would be, and much more too, but for the complicated, cumbersome, and expensive machinery employed for their collection, —a machinery that itself costs no inconsiderable proportion of the sums it is employed to raise, and which, would not be tolerated by a people who were alive to the serious evils of the Tariff system. In former articles we- have shewn that as enlightenment and intelligence prevails at home, these evils are seen, combatted, and are being gradually removed; though, as is often the case in other matters, legislation awaits'public opinion, and only moves forward as it is forced by th^growing intelligence of the people. -Yet it has, during the thirty years last past, been making progress always with the most unqualified success. It has removed restrictions from trade; taken off many duties that greatly oppressed the masses* and an income tax—imposed for a temporary purpose—has nevertheless been continued up to the present day; as, although it is confessedly partial and unequal in its Operation, yet being [of the nature of direct taxation it has been found wiser to remove several of the indirect burthens that pressed too heavily on, the people, than to move in a retrograde, direction by repealing this. But although the legislature is so tardy in following out a course it can only approve of, we are pleased to see manifest signs of energy among the people. The restless spirit of examination that has been growing and increasing in strength for the last half century has at length penetrated into the arcana of the public treasury, and people are wise enough to see that the revenue required for the due support of the Government of the nation is a debt that falls to the door of each member thereof, in proportion to the protection he receives from that Government, —a debt, too, that he should know his share of, and pay as willingly, when called upon to do so, as any other just claim; and as he would object to any other creditor coming in the dark and taking away an unknown quantity of his property in payment of a claim, just so does he.object to the Government deriving its revenue from a similar source, and with equal justice, more especially as in this way he is fleeced to about double the extent that need he required.

The orthodox method of accomplishing great reforms In politics, as is well-known, is the union of a number of- thinking and leading minds in a league, having the proposed reform as its object. This league, by means of the press, the . lecture hall, &c, 4 spread abroad the truths they hold among

the people. By this means an enlightened and irresistable. popular opinion is gradually cheated, which, being brought to bear upon the legislature, necessitates the reform in question. Such a society has been formed in connection with the question of customs duties; and this association aims at nothing less4han the entire-abolition of customs and excise, the removal of other imposts, include ing the present income tax; and the substitution of ah equitable system of direct taxation. We are heartily glad to know that this is the case, and predict its ultimate success, though it has to fight against -long odds at present, in the face of that bugbear, “vested interests,” which stands a stumbling block in the way of everything good and true. But—magnum est veritas et prevalabit. As a specimen J df the labors of the association, and in order to add our feeble efforts in aid of the same end, we give our readers-to day, from one of their pamphlets, : twelve reasons for establishing direct taxation, &c., which will be found in another column.