TAXATION AND VEXATION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 133, 8 June 1868, Page 2

TAXATION AND VEXATION.

To the Editor op the Nelson" Evening Mail. g m , — The customs Tariff ia a general tax upon the requirements a-ad, it may be said, the nonrequirenients of life, and something is added thereby to the price of what we eat drink and wear, &c, still little complaint is made, because no great immediate inconvenience is felt. The local taxes are growing upon us as a community, but almost of necessity, and the last addition to our taxation, that for the water suppiy, is no light burden to the house-holder who was already sufficiently heavily taxed in the way. of rent, but let us hope a gradual reduction will be here made as speedily as possible. As to the Educational Kate and Dog Tax, (unless the latter is twice too much) no objections can be raised. These, however, together with the high price of living generally, specially of bread and fuel, and the high rate of servants' wages, make living in Nelson costly enough. But I have to draw * attention to yet another tax to which a certain portion of this community is subjected. And what makes it the worse is, that it is an almost

unnecessary tax, an extortionate tax, a vexatious tax, and to the working man a beggaring tax. Yes, whatever our worthy Police Magistrate and the heads of the Police department may think of it, the tax in the way of fines levied upon the owjiers of horses and cows is causing a rancour and disaffection in the breasts of these persons which it is by no means wise to foster. When men begin to declare that they would sooner go back to the old country and work for less than half that is to be gotten here, than put up with what they term such persecution, there can be no mistake that they are laboring under a grievance which is difficult to be borne. I contend that it is unnecessary for the Police to take cognizance of a poor man's cow grazing in the byelanes and eating the grass which would otherwise go to waste. And supposing a horse or cow does stray into what are really streets, or even into our quiet city, it is not an offence to be visited with 10s. or more per head for each offending animal, together with 6s. 6d. for summons, which latter charge by the bye is unprecedentedly high. If it is, however, the wish of those who are in authority to drive people away from the province, then they can do nothing more effectual than by adding to the already heavy taxation the fines and penalties to which I allude. It would be trespassing, Mr Editor, too much upon your space, but I could give many instances of a most aggravated nature, shewing a most needless excercise of the policeman's duties, in reference to the grievance I have felt it my duty thus to comment upon. Tours, &a Z.