PROPOSED TAXATION.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1147, 16 October 1871, Page 3

PROPOSED TAXATION.

[THAMES ADVERTISER, SEPT. 20.] In respect to the new taxes to be imposed we have a special interest. Import duties are to be imposed upon breadstuffs and also upon timber. The reason of selecting these two articles is that the Southern farmers clamour for a protection dui.y on grain, aud the Ministry to get the consent of some of the Northern members, propose to give them the advantage of a duty upon timber. We shall not go into the question of whether the timber duty compensates the is'orth for the grain duty levied for the benefit of the South, but it is as clear as day that both North and South, after the old fashion, make victims of us—of the gold producers. At the Thames we are large consumers both of timber and bread, and for the benefit of a few farmers and millowneis these articles are to be made artificially dear. We need not say, that instead of our gold being protected, a heavy tax is levied upon it—a tax which the Ministry have just refused even to lower. And yet this is done for the purpose of encouraging native industry 1 Can nothing be discovered to show that we ha v e an equivalent for the bread tax? Ye*, there is something, and would wish to direct .special attention to it. To promote the native industry of distilling, the native distillers are encouraged to the extent of six shillings per gallon. This, of course has a considerable effect on the revenue, but Mr Vogel declares that he cannot raise the excise duty, as that would operate against the distilling trade, which has been cieated and must bo maintained by legislative favor. In the financial statement, Mr Vogel said:—"The operation of tLe Distillation Act was producing a very large loss to the revenue. The Government did not wish to show any harshnevs towards those who had embarked their capital in this industry ; still the result was Very unsatisfactory. The revenue loses ,£25,000 on account of spirits already manufactured in the colony, which manufacture has led to a consumption of 43,000 bushels of grain." And so, bread is to be made dear, in order that poison may be made cheap. Poison, is a strong word to use, but the teetotallers will feel no objection to it, ond neither, we are sure, will those object v\ho have tasted the home-made article, which is probably used in most instances for adulteration purposes. We do not even have the consolation that we can gel drunk more cheaply because of the remission of taxation on home-made drink We do not go so far as the Premier with respect to intoxicants, but as subjects of taxation we give them up to be as heavily burdened a* possible, If the Government would equalise the excise and customs duties °n spirits, the amount ot" the bread tax would be more than raised.