New Zealand Times. THURSDAY, MAY 27, 1875.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4426, 27 May 1875, Page 2

New Zealand Times. THURSDAY, MAY 27, 1875.

Me. Caeieton deserves the thanks of the public for putting a stop to the insane career of tho Auckland Provincial Council, in the imposition of new taxes. The question before the Council was a motion to tax all incomes over £3OO per annum, for educational purposes; and Mr. Cableton carried an amendment to the following effect That direct taxation, as “ distinguished from rates, ought to be “ equally distributed all over tho colony.” Wo are not told by whom tho income tax was proposed, nor does it appear how it was to be levied there is a tantalising absence of details, no doubt, but tho central fact remains, that the Auckland Provincial Council entertained, and seriously discussed, this proposal. Having affirmed the principle of imposing an export duty on kauri gum—a commodity of which Auckland has tho monopoly, and which is subject to groat fluctuation in value—wo should not be surprised at anything the Council might do. Tho export duty on gold is bad enough in all conscience, and something may be said in its favor even, but to impose an export duty of £5 per tonon kauri gum, as tho Provincial Council of Auckland contemplates, would simply put a stop to the search for it, throw a largo number of mon out of employment, for it should bo borne in mind that the majority of gum diggers are Europeans, and not Maoris, as has been erroneously stated. Tho Maoris, for several years past, have not devoted

so much labor as formerly to gum gathering ; but the waifs and strays of society, by some means or other, find their way to the North, where they earn.sufficient for food and scanty clothing, and to pay for an occasional debauch, by digging and scraping kauri gum. An export duty of £5 a ton would simply drive them back into the towns, increasing the number of the dangerous classes, and taxing the ingenuity of the local, authorities to find anything for them to do. Mr. Oarleton affirms the true principle of taxation. Rates imposed by local bodies for local purposes cannot be uniform ; but taxes, levied by the State, “ ought to be distributed equally over “ the colony.” This is the point of the whole question. The principle which Mr. Carleton succeeded in affirming is one which, in its application to Auckland, and to other provinces which do not possess territorial revenue, will raise issues in the General Assembly that cannot well be evaded. One of these is the duty of the State in the matter of Education. If the Legislature permits one district to sell Crown lands, and apply the proceeds of sale to the reduction of taxes, as in Otago and Canterbury, it follows that the settlers in those localities are less heavily burdened than settlers which possess no such fund on which to draw. Wherefore taxation is not. equally distributed over all parts of the colony. And the argument that Education is a local, and not a colonial affair, will not hold togethex - , because if it be a local matter simply, it is wrong to apply colonial revenue, which the land fund undoubtedly is, to this object in one part of the colony, and compel the inhabitants of another part of it to tax themselves directly to raise a school fund.. Therefore it comes back to this point : should Education be a colonial or provincial matter 1 We maintain that it should be undertaken by the colony ; that the education tax should be uniform ; and that the entire educational system should bo under the control of a Responsible Minister, who would take care to have it carried out in its integrity. Until this has been done we shall never have anything like a satisfactory educational system. Moreover, the cost of administration would be lessened were a uniform school system established under a Minister of Education. At present, there is no pretence to uniform standards ; and as every province manages in its own way, (and that way sometimes very crooked,) the greatest possible good does not always result from the expenditure. We refer to-this question now, because in all likelihood it will be brought before the General Assembly during the coming session, and it is well to have it ventilated a little beforehand. It is altogether out of the question that fully one-half of the colony should be without adequate provision for common schools, after taxing themselves to the utmost possible limit, while the other half should be enabled to relieve themselves of the necessity of contributing anything, beyond a mere trifle, by converting the Crown lands into money, and applying it in aid of school rates. It is the law, no doubt, but the law is so unequal that it should be amended. Otherwise, we fear that very serious complications may arise. There is a very serious responsibility in this matter, not alone with the Government, but with the General Assembly, which should consider the subject of Education not in the spirit of party, but as a question of the very foremost importance, on the solution of which depends, to an immense extent, its future wellbeing.