Hawke's Bay Times, PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY. THURSDAY, 10th JANUARY, 1867. TAXATION IN AUCKLAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IX, Issue 445, 10 January 1867, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times, PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY. THURSDAY, 10th JANUARY, 1867.

TAXATION IN AUCKLAND.

■' liuuiui diidicimjiii-uiv in verbs sisfislri.”

With the new year, our Auckland friends have been treated with a set of harbor regulations, by which all im-

portations of goods and merchandise to that port are somewhat heavily taxed by the Provincial Government, in addition to the general taxes borne in common with the rest of the colony. These regulations do not at present, and were not intended to except the local coasting trade from the pressure of the tax, and as might be supposed the measure has given rise to a great deal of dissatisfaction and complaint throughoutthe province, asitis thought that all local branches of industry should have bad an exception made in their favor and for their encouragement. The duties levied by this measure are intended, it seems, to provide a fund for the payment of the interest and the formation of a sinking fund, for the harbor trusts debt, which requires an annual s:.m of .£75,000, and the Auckland Government has decided on raising such annual sum by the imposition of the above mendoned scheme of taxation on all importations to their port.

Although it is the principles invol ved ia measures of this description that must be pr'manly regarded, yet it is as well that we should take some notice of the rates of duty imposed by this new tariff, iu addition, it must be

remembered, to those exacted by the Genera. Government, and we shall iiud them something rather remarkable, as the following list of items, selected almost at random, will serve to show:—

s u Timber, 100 feet 0 G Shingles, {' 1,000 ... ... 2 6 Potatoes, '(> esvt. 0 2 Drapery (bale unJer 50 feet) ... 2 G Coal, per ton ... ... ... 1 G Oil, in drums, for every 5 gals... 0 4 Stone, "p ton ... ... ... 1 6 Candles, p? lOOlbs ... ... O 2 Bricks, 100 0 3 These rates of July, of themselves, or some of them, may not appear very excessive, but when it is consiclened that they have to be born ein addition to another and most oppressive tariff, imposed by the General Government of the Colony, we cannot wonder that they give rise to great dissatisfaction and much grumbling amongst the community, more particularly on account of the effect it is calculated to produce on the several branches of loeff industry carried on in the province of Auckland, as for instance, sawing, timber splitting, and particularly coalmining ; coal being taxed with a duty of no less than eighteen pence per ton. It appears that such a tax would be sufficient to stop the working of the Wangarei coal mines, which as it is, have been hitherto carried on at a loss, and cannot, therefore, stand the infliction of a tax such as this. It is probable also that it would prevent the working of the new mines of Ka-wa-kawa, for the leasing of which the Superintendent of Auckland has advertised for tenders. It will also, it is supposed, virtually close the port to several industries, employing a considerable number of settlers along the coast, who have hitherto supplied the city of Auckland with various kinds of produce, such as timber, shingles, palings &c,, the duty payable on such things being so high as to amount to their virtual prohibition, or the actual confiscation of the property itself. Of course it maybe replied thattheselocalproducers are only taxed equally with the stran

ger, and are not deprived of any advantage formerly enjoyed, the consumer in each case having to bear the additional burden la the shape of an enhanced price for the article, the same margin is left for the home producer as before. Whether this be true or not, the parties immediately concerned, fail to see it in that light, and we think that, while importations are charged with the excessive rates of duty payable under the new tariff of tne uieueral there is no margin whatever left for additional duties on importations.

On this point we are glad to find that the Daily Southern Cross takes a souud and common-sense view of the matter, and while it sees that in deference to popular opinion, the Superintendent of Auckland has Intimated his intention to relax the stringency of the new regulations in favor of home produce, and make them apply only to foreign importations, as far as regards the duties, it thinks such alteration unadvisable, because the customs duties are already too heavy, and all additional burdens must be borne by the consumer in the payment of an enhanced price for the articles consumed.

Mr Whitaker seems to have- lost much of that extreme popularity he enjoyed at the period of his election to the office of Superintendent of Auckland. This is generally the result of bis course of action in the General Assembly, in supporting the General Government measures of increased taxation for the Colony,—the imposition of the Stamp Duties nuisance, and the Act for the protection of native laud owners, known as the “Native Lands Act, 18(30,” which last mightily offended the Auckland laud-seekers; an I this last measure of harbor regulations, and additionally taxed importations, iu its not excepting local produce from its action, is almost regarded as an endeavour to destroy the great coasting trade of that province. His concession, too, of a promise to amend the matter by exempting that trade from the tax has not restored him to public confidence, as it is regarded as a concession made to fear, and not from any good will to local producers. For ourselves, our objection to the whole class of duties on articles of consumption are so well known as to need no iteration here. Were we the conductors of an Auckland journal, we should, no doubt, speak our mind pretty plainly regarding a measure that adds to the heavy tariff already existing; but, speaking generally, we feel that Provincial Governments and local corporations generally have no right to interfere with trade and commerce. The principle of direct taxation is that usually followed by such bodies in Great Britain, and local public works are paid for by county aud borough rates, and assessed rates on property proportional lo the annual value of the same. By such a system the poorer classes escape, iu a great measure, from its burdens, which they could not do if these sums were raised by taxes on food, clothing, and all articles of general consumption. Surely such a system is open to the Auckland Government, by which they might raise the .£7,500 they need for their harbor trust interCfib duu otuniug iuuui

The Cross gives as an instance of the working of the General Government's new tariff, —the case of an importation of goods to the amount of

50 tons, assorted parcels, which, uu

der the old tariff, would have paid a duty of £4, but, under the new, must pay no less than £l4l There must

be some prosperity in New Zealand to enable a community to exist under taxes such as this ; and small reason indeed for anv local Government to add to so fearfully a heavy burden on a community. A POSTAL ALLS L. Frequently we have been tempted to call attention to a dishonest practice earned on in the Post Office department of the Colonial Government; and the recent imposition of the new rates of postage affords an eligible opportunity for so doing. We allude to the obliteration of all stamps that, in mistake or otherwise, are affixed to letters and parcels passing through the post, in excess of the postal dues.

It is well enough known that when a letter, &c., is insufficiently stamped, provided only that it bears a single rate of postage, it is forwarded, and the person receiving it is charged the deficient postage, together with a fine to pay (we suppose) for its collection. This is all right enough, and no one would complain, or have a right to do so, on this account. But while thu

Government charges a fine for deficient postage, it has no right to appropriate an excess. This is of especial moment at the present time, when much uncertainty prevails, especially in the outlying districts, as to the actual rates required ; and an excess is very frequently affixed to such letters, which excess is as effectually obliterated by the Post Office officials as is the required rate.

Our attention was called to this matter by an instance in point, in which a note, weighing but a lew grains, was posted a short distance from town in this Province, and the writer, not wishing to tax his correspondent, and having heard something about a threepenny rate being in force —and further, being unable to refer at once to a list of rates —affixed an extra stamp to the note in addition to that required, which stamp was (as is usual) obliterated in. the Post Office. Certainly this was but a trifle, and of itself not worth, the mention, but the principle involved is the same, however large or however small the amount, and wear© sure that the sum falling to the Treasury of the Government from the obliteration of stamps affixed to letters in excess of their proper rates, would, if it could ha known, be no trifle at the end of a year.