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New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4476, 24 July 1875, Page 2

It will be in the recollection of our readers that Mr. Dargaville, a local politician, proposed in the Auckland Provincial Council that an export duty should be imposed upon kauri gum, the proceeds of the new tax to go to supplement the Education Rate. Mr. John Williams presented a petition yesterday from the Northern Maoris, which shows what they think of Mr. Dargaville and his proposal. The petition is as follows : —“ To the Honorahles the two Speakers and members of both Houses of the General Assembly in Parliament assembled.—The humble petition of the undersigned native inhabitants, gumdiggers, of the Bay of Islands district, sheweth, —That this is an intimation to you from ourselves and all our children, and our wives, (the children, boys and girls, who arc able to dig gum from the age of four years and upwards,) to you, the two Speakers and all the members of both Houses of Parliament that we, our wives, and children, are very anxious that the law (gum tax) passed in the recent session of the Provincial Council of the province of Auckland, in this year, should be done away with. The said Provincial Council has agreed to submit to you this session for approval, that the said gum tax should be authorised by law. (1). The duties. (2). The profit made by the gum buyers—the man who proposed this gum tax, and who makes very largo ])rofits, is ono of the gum buyers. (3). About the gum tax. On the first point—duties—we are very clear, and have been for many years, of the greatness of our sufferings through the duties imposed upon goods, such as spirits, tobacco, and many other things, which we pay for with (the proceeds of) gum, horses, sheep, pigs, land, and many other things which we dispose of for money with which to purchase those goods. On the second point—profit—the person who proposed the imposition of this gum tax in the Provincial Council, did not do so in order to benefit all the schools of our colony—that is, as an education tax ; hut his real wish was, and what he aims at is, to benefit his own pocket. First, then, is the large profit he makes upon the sale of his goods, spirits, tobacco, &c., &c., which he sells for gum ; second, he desired to attain to a high position, that of Superintendent, member of Parliament, or perhaps Minister of the Government, in order that he might get money much more than his profits : witness, ho wrote letters to us asking ua to vote for him, in order that ho might got into these places. And, because we did not

vote for him (for we did not consider him fit for those positions), therefore he set his wits to work in the Provincial Council to see if he could kill two birds with one stone—the five pounds gum tax. Third, the gum tax is a great, great, great infliction upon the gumdiggers alone ; upon the Europeans, their wives and children. We considered (but perhaps we were mistaken), that the burdens borne by the Maoris and Europeans were alike in respect of the payment of duties and profit upon goods, cattle, sheep, horses, pigs, land, and many other things and works, and .that most of us gumdiggers wore equally sharers in these goods and works, therefore, were we, the gumdiggers, satisfied. Our suffering by reason of paying these duties and profits is greater than that of all the people who do not dig gum, and if this tax should bo confirmed by law, we are quite certain that while it lasts we shall be bearing burdens doubly as heavy as these, on account of the other impositions above set forth. If this work of gum digging could be carried on in all parts of our colony the same as breeding cattle, horses, sheep, &c., as above stated, we would soon see that all the Europeans and Maoris of the colony were bearing the infliction, and therefore would we endorse the view of the promoter of the gum tax, that it would bo for the benefit of all the schools of our colony (that is, if we thought that was the object.) Now, all these inflictions above referred to fall on the gumdiggers alone—on us, our wives and children. We urge the prayer of this petition upon you, that all you of the Parliament may be clear as to our great grievance that makes us so strongly protest against the imposition of this gum tax by law. Therefore we, our wives, and children, your petitioner’s, will ever pray, &c.— Tango Hikuwai, Wikemu Hongi Te Ripi, and 340 others.