The Weekly Times. "Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri." MONDAY, 14th JANUARY, 1867. TAXATION IN AUCKLAND.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 1, Issue 2, 14 January 1867, Page 3

The Weekly Times. "Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri." MONDAY, 14th JANUARY, 1867. TAXATION IN AUCKLAND.

With the new. year, .our Auckland friends have been treated with a set of Jiarbor regulations, by which all importations 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. throughout the province, as it is thought that "all- local branches of * industry should have had an exception made in their favor and for their encouragementV 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-re-quires an annual sum 0f^75,000, and the Auckland Government has decided therirn- i aboveoaehtionedscheme td their port..-, . - ! ''

] Although it is the principles invol ved in measures of this description that mustHbe primarily regarded, yet it is as well thatwestoould take some jnotice of the rates-of-duty imposed by this uew tariff, in addition, it-must be# remembered, to: those exacted by the General Government, and we shall find l them something rather remarkable, as the following, list of items, selected al- | moat at random, will serve to show :-r----8 D Timber, #.loofect ... ... _o_ 6 Shingles, $ 1,000 2 6. Potatoes, $ cwt. 0 2 \ Drapery (bale under 60 feet) ... 2 6 Coal,perton ... .... ... 1 6 Oil, in drums; for every 6 gads... 0 4 Stone, ton' ... 1 6 .. , Candles, $ lOOfts ... ... 6 2 Bricks, $ 100 ... 0 3

These rates of duty, of themselves, or some of them, may not appear very excessive, but when it is considened 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 severaTbranches of local 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 snch 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 stranger, and are not deprived of any ad? vantage formerly enjoyed, the consumer in'each case having to bear the additional burden-in 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 the General Government, there is no margin whatever left for additional duties on importations. On this point we are glad, to find that the Daily Southern Gross takes a sound : 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 he epjoyiid at the* period, of his ; election to the office of Ancldand. r - This, is generally the reof action in the Ge-

neral Assembly, in supporting The General Government measures, of inc'reased taxatioh for the Colony, imposition ,of the Stamp Duties nuisance. and the'Act for the -protection of native land owners, known as the “ Native Lands Act, 1866,” which last, - mightily offended the < Auckland land-seekers; and this last measure of harbor ; regulations, and additionally taxed importations; in 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 ho 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 usuully followed by such bodies in Great Britain, and local public works are paid for by county and borough rates, and assessed rates on property proportional to the annual value of the same/ By such a system the poorer classes escape, in 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 interest and sinking fund. The Cross gives us an instance of the. working of the General Government’s new tariff,—-the case of an importation of goods to the amount of 50Tons, assorted parcels, which, under 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 any'local Government to add to so fearfully a heavy , burden on a community.