The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1880. MONDAY'S MEETING.

Temuka Leader, Issue 269, 10 June 1880, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1880. MONDAY'S MEETING.

turn mating held in the Volunteer Hall on Monday evening «y a great success i com* pesed a* it wh almost entirely «f ratepayers it plainly expressed the mind of the district both as regards the Property Tax Mid the present position that the member hold* in the .most populous centra in the electoral district ef oereldin*. The stroug opporition manifested against » Property Tex in ray form clearly shows that tha nets of tha people will not hare it from an/ Oovernnient. Tho way Mr Wakefield's nam* was.- received whan it was introduced in any way, prorad eonclusi»ely that ha doaa net ait in the Assembly as therepressntatireof the Oeraldinf electors • but as the friend of the lew Conservatives living in and around Temuka. Moat men would resign at once, if they found themselves unpopular r but we fear Mr Hall's pupil is too strongly imbued with hie tutor"* principles to take aaything aa an affront. Th* resolution calling upon him 'o assist Sir George Grey to defeat th*s Government measure waa aot dona in retaliation for the way he slighted the petitioners who forwarded to him a. petition to be presented to the Government. . That petition prayed the Government to commence the Temuke-Oxford Railway. Mr Wakefield did not condescend to acknowledge it, or to I net upon it, but. consigned it to the waste paper basket. This, eerily, we* sufficient ; insolence to make h» constituency repudiate him | but the object of the resolution of ' Monday night waa not meant as a,punishment I to him, but to show, him that hie constituents I do not believe in a Conservative Government. Bvary member eleetrd by the ratepayers it their servant, snd. they, have a perfect right to ask him to do what they believe is right; . If he does -«ot choose to do so, then he can resign, and let the elect of tSe people represent them, and who will look to their affairs ( we therefore uphold ths decision of the meeting, and think that the resolution was fair and right Mr Mtndelson's proposal to license merchants, storekeepers, and others, is not a new suggestion ; this question hat been brought up- over and over again. However fair it may seem, it will be alwaya most distasteful to those who nave to pay. But we think it much fairer than the property' tax Be-. fo*a tampering with the Education Grants, it , would be well far those who prefer the National to the Denominational system to well consider the matter. A household rate would cause much disoontent amongst Catholics and others who do not take advantage of the JSmtaeael system The present grant will not belong found eumeienti Supplement it,if necessary, by a tax in the way of lees for every ohild attending; school, and if a rate is , adttmately required, let it be to supplement the grant for buildings. This cannot be so readily objected to, as the buildings WVen jtnnpleted are aver after Government properly. A Land Tax it not only the most popular, but it is the most just, everything being eoneidered. If it presses rather hard upon some farmers, who have acquired by industry a freehold, it will on the other hand bring more land from large holders into the market, and tbty will thus be able to cempen. se.e themselves by purchasing a freehold for their sous, who will have to be provided for; an' Income Tax ought to be imposed with the Land Tax. Money lenders and others may then be got hold of who are not liable for the Land Tax. It is said the Income Tax would be as inquisitorial a* the Property Tax. It is not »o in England; there a collector is appointed in «nrj county j Tapers are sent to . those liable j this paper has the different columns for the various source* of income,*othat all that is to be done is to place against each the amount of income received, and to sign a declaration that your statement i* correct If the total exceeds say L3OO, the part; u taxed

I accordingly | 3d, 6d or 9d psr L for the £3OO j or anylafiifer sum, and a notice is sent abating when and where the tax ii payable. If »nd«r i LBOO, the party is exempt, and no tiee it taken of him unless his statement is re. garded with suspicion, when it ia enquired in. to It sometimes happens that a man puta down I hi» inoome ai L3OO, and finds on balancing that he hat lost, instead of gained, L3OO. To obviate this difficulty, however, shopkeepere and othera engaged in any preeeriowbueinese have the option of giving, their&eome fro • an average of three Team Once in for the tax, it ia difficult to get out of it; you say ehow that your income is under, but this often does not satisfy them. A Court of. Appeal t, held, at which the parson claiming exemption hae to attend, end answer any questions that may be asked them. Stringency ia i "tended to intimidate and warn persona to be careful; in the ease of the farmer served with a notiee, he has to send in a return stating how mueh rent he part; if oyer LSOO, he has to pay the tax: if under, he is exempt. There ia nothing inquisitorial in this procedure, and we do not see that it could not be introduced into Kew Zealand Some say fraurl w k ould be attempted—eo eometimee it is in England Often the Chancellor - of the Kaebaquer 3 aoknowledges in tte, LondoW Times the receipt *of*ihe Area. '. *&*:, <» sfa . note: ,*» : -Wneaieo#e . 'niooey. ' The.'.New Zealandera' tsnseisnose t—y be a little elastic than those m England, but we do not think many would try to evade thia tax, if it «•>• be proved to them that it is equitable and necessary Thai tbeeountry must Seer a targe share of taxation ia evident, no matter whaV GoTernment ia.tn power The only quretion is—What tax ia beet and just T A tax upon the neeeeeeries of life ia unwise. Other taxes may be mentioned—such ae a tax upon livery eervante, carriages, plate, guns, and a higher tax upon dogs, beside* many .othera not interfering with the necessaries of life. The meeting held to protest against the Property Tax drew out several speakers who (with their diversified views) eannot but do good* One thing is very plain—the colony ie ripening fast for* full declaration in faror of Liberal measures and Tree Trade Just mw ConeerratiTe* are declaring themselves more freely than formerly, as they eannot disguise their views by mixing them up with the Liberal measures initiated by Sir Geo. Grey The eolony trill soon have te decide; whether it will be governed by a Conservative landocracy headed by Mr Hall, or whether it will be governed by Liberal measures, headed by. Sir George Grey, or some other popular Free Trader The present session will not likely decide the ease, but the hustings will, and that decision will, if,the sign* of the timet Tare worth anything, be for Liberalism.