THE GOVERNMENT PROGRAMME.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5662, 23 May 1879, Page 3

THE GOVERNMENT PROGRAMME.

The only foreshadowing of the Government proposals for the coming session which have hitherto found public expression have appeared through the Press. It is almost impossible to say to what extent predictions such as those which have been lately published are to be regarded as inspired. They may be either pure guess-work, or they may have originated in high quarters, and have been sent out as feelers to elicit an expression of public opinion and to prevent the more startling elements contained in them from causing any surprise, when the time comes for their ultimate and authoritative delivery. Judging by the tone of the Press throughout New Zealand, we believe that any attempt to alter the Constitution by introducing great changes in the method of election, or the length of service of the Legislative Oounoillors, will meet with no approval whatever. The proposal has been industriously circulated, but has fallen very flat. Even the most radical of our Ministers will hesitate about pressing this matter forward, and both this subject and the mad proposal for an elective Governor will probably not assume definite proportions during the coming session. Predictions such as these are not quite so void of practical application as might at first . sight appear. The subjects which are likely to engage the attention of Parliament deserve the notice of the public during the recess, and more especially of the members themselves. It is of importance that they should know in what direction to increase their •knowledge of, and to strengthen and mature the opinions they hold on, those matters affecting Church and State, which are likely to be brought under their notice with a view to ; legislation. Parenthetically we may remark that in the several sketches of a Government programme which have been hitherto laid before the public, there has never yet been any promise whatever made or implied to deal with the two practical reforms which most urgently require legislative treatment. They are, we need scarcely say, the question of the allocation of charitable aid, and the necessity for dealing with local self-govern-ment upon some basis which shall do away with the present anomalous distribution of public money among local bodies. Under the present system the strongest receive most help, and the weakest go to the wall. All parties are agreed that the strong points of the Government programme of the coming session are to be the imposition of an income tax, and the increase of the land tax from a halfpenny to three halfpence in the pound. The latter proposal we do not now desire to discuss. The question of the imposition of an income tax is one of- some importance, and we are inclined to believe that it is likely to form a “piece de resistance” next session. Tho Government which last year boasted through the mouth of tho Hon. Mr. Stout that it had brought down more measures of reform than any previous Ministry, is quite likely to again appear before the public with a long list of promised measures some of which, like the Native Lands Bill of last session, are destined never to see daylight. In our opinion a proposal to levy an income tax, if brought forward next session and embodied in a carefully considered well framed Bill, would pass with but little opposition. The whole House, almost without exception, agreed to a resolution two years ago empowering the Government to bring down a Bill to impose a property and income tax upon all property throughout the colony. Instead of fulfilling the duty imposed upon them, the Ministry, with a scarcely veiled desire to “ burst up” large holdings, brought down the Land Tax Bill. It was severely criticised on every side, and experience has amply justified the criticisms ; but among all the opponents of the measure there was hardly one who did not express a desire to see a general property and income tax levied. The country and the House had asked for a complete measure for imposing direct taxation. This being denied them, the Land Tax Act was passed, incomplete and clumsy as it was; and although it was admittedly, if not avowedly, a class tax. Rather than do without the direct taxation of property, which the public demanded and all parties in the House were prepared to concede, the Land Tax Act was made law because it was the only measure before the country which provided any opportunity for the representatives to carry out the pledges which they had given to their constituents. In the Upper House it passed without dissentient, though severely criticised. Not more than one single advocate could be found to champion it on its merits, and it was generally characterised as a wrong step in the right direction. The enormous cost of levying and collecting the tax is well known, and has been admitted on all sides, hut pending the objections to the assessment and valuations, the number of which will assuredly be very great, it is impossible to say what the ultimate net result to the Treasury will be. We look forward to very great changes in the form of the Act and the incidence of the tax before the House will consent to any addition being made to it. If an income tax, either with or without a general property tax, is proposed either by the present or by any future Ministry, we believe that a large majority of the House will be in favor of it. The much talked of unearned increment of value in laud has greatly diminished in many places since last session, and in some cases may be said to have vanished into apace, and we expect to hear much less about this political Will-o’-the-wisp. The landowners, as such, are not in a position to hear much increase of direct taxation; still less do we believe that the House desires to victimise still further the land owners

for the benefit of the rest of the monied classes of the community. The anticipated opposition to the proposed in-come-tax we believe will be found to be entirely directed against the details of any measure brought forward, and not against the principle of the tax. An increase of the land tax will be opposed tooth and nail, and we decline altogether to believe that any proposed increase will be carried unless the Act under which it is collected is very materially altered and amended, if not altogether remodelled.