INCIDENCE OF TAXATION.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 43, 9 March 1878, Page 3

INCIDENCE OF TAXATION.

i 10 THE. EWTOR. ! S*h^— lncidence of taxation is a very . uncertain matter- todeal with. Youi put a tax on kjd gloves in,order to make those I pay wlw>,Qsm afford it, and,, behold j the j gentlemen ifti kid gloves ate mean enough to wear their? gloves a little longer and and takelbetter care of themk • I But to come nearer, home. We must j remember that we live m a colony : if we- make- tb& breakfast stable free we shall, have so. maa\v tho^ftoxe guests at it.. M living becomes; ehj>apcr-i* New Jgieahwdi it will become a wore %ttra«ti ve couojtry- tp> immigrants* andVages.- will go,:dpw.n.. When lasad is sbgledl out :as;sseeiaUiv, fit for taxation* aadlwhen a I valwfltijoft ;rate i* imposed foi»^eßer»l I purposes Less land will be- taken, up and ! improved and wages wil Igo down .. To j make % long story; short it is next to,im.I possible to altc* the iawdience of taarajtfcra vx a eountuy where capital and. ; labor are continually poured into themarket frxna. the world outside. Yoii jmay possibLy tem|K>rarily disturb the natural level m favor of, say, town la-borersias-it will'talte. soma time before | customary wages break down by the jforce of circumstances.. But this con-. ; servatlve fOrce,.cu«tom, wilJ on. the others ibandi act against the interest of/ the laborer foe-some little time' when, low j wages, have increased the influx of capital. But it has been, said' that an acreage rate, if a law to that effect cqn be-car-sij&d* would-be HHrv r favor of every -settler and laborer m New as against speculators, andl absentees Granted ! But would'it not drive away our customers? Can we afljord. toaio 'that and* sell our public lands to tonafide settlers only? I am. afraid that desirable as this would be it would prove a financial impossibility.. We- are not even able to open uj> the country by roads before we sell; it,, although, tfcat »: tlujv best &&& fairest way t<? promote settlement and keep, out log-rolling land sharks, to use a short and; sweet expression.. :Bu|i m this-directipnj \j;e ought to> d*>.*a& mwK ! as wecan< _ '„;- '•."■'•" One wordM'fti eoncftisipn. rich or well^to-db; chusses are always ia.the .minority^ & it wiere. possible four; the (majority by- ijates.- a»u taxes to appro-' • griate the golderjiog^s of the goose, capital, without &]#»s* the., precious bir.d itself it would* have, been done long ago wherever, popular liberty- exists ; but not being; able- to>dio> soothe ultra democrats i«. Eu»-0]». have been driven to adopt for their watch wond,. "Communism." In.this aouofery it will, not i be necessary to argue- agafnst that form of Government for. some hundfiedtycars. -- - Ij-am, .&c.„ • -"M- --.•■'-':; T.M.