The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 1880.

Temuka Leader, Issue 269, 15 June 1880, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 1880.

When His Excellency the Governor delivered liis memorable speech the other day, he doubtless thought the whole colony would take up the cry for education rates and house tax. Fortunately, the mass of the people saw through his little dodge to deprive the sons of poor men from having a chance of competing with the offspring of the aristocrats. In New Zealand this doctrine won't go down . one man is as good as another, and the way to promotion is open to all We trust that His Excellency now sees hit the dose he prescribed will not be s„a:.c.wed. It is fortunate that Mr Hal] is bound by that notorious contract to leave education undisturbed,otherwise we would have been by this time boiling in that Beething pot—religious teaching in schools. Our legislators showed great weakness in allowing a Bill to nass, pro. hibiting the reading of the Protectant Bible in schools This step is to be deplored by Protestants, and amounts to ignoring the authenticity of the Word of God as an inspired book The mischief, ho vovor, is done, and cannot be undone yet New Z -alandis too impecunious now.and its settl-rs in many cases too much in the hands of each other, for them to act freely An effort is being made to get the Government to impose the house tax Noihing could he mors unwise, and m >rr> calculated to stir up opposition t'> our N-iti'Hial education than to make one man pay for educating the children of another, while he is paying for his own at another school When this tax was in operation there was much grumbling ; to reimpose it now would be the moans of raising a storm. It is nothing n.ore than right that parents should pay for the education of their chil dren, aud in the colonies the mass of the people spend twice as much in rt<>xicating drinks as would pay for the education of the : r offspring It ia but right thorelore that if the State cannot afford, nerhaps should not educate their children free, tlw.t they si ouid given portion of this.

. o sidy wasted money for their (vlmMii'm. If a rate is needed at all that ra'o ivo repeat should be for building pu'j> soa, lui- this, even we do not sec the necessity of doing at tho present time. Do away with thi Education Boards and go on without, increasing the number of sin ill school c which arc a'ready by far too niimemiis and a building fund will not he nindl r qnirod for a year or two. In the cs'ima'ed . »; e'ndiltird i'M last year L-'Ofe 000 was ahowh na expended in I'litilic I uiMin-'S : is it impossible to cut ■ !o\vn ill's i-x-) ■nlitir-e to a m--rn myth i fur the chip >'t y -ar. T-ma'ii W:uii< !fa.fiin jvcominod ;iion ii -I Teninkti witiife a e'Jllrt house ,-i i|-«i '•«• t cell- n ; l>ni dings, < 111' rpi x-cs douh le«fl "il ast* t v innr • ex'xmdittirc of jsitlrli.- mo .-iy in liilil im;, h t tlie Ministry di'!.'ri!iinU f':it the pres-nt htl'l iHus slia I do duty for ' auoth r year, This would save a great part of this L2(- r ) 000 and would he a much wiser 1 j-lttn than taxation which is da'ciilated to drive capital and people from, the dolony, and go f.ir to make New ZSialaild again a sheep-walk Bnt If there must be taxation, let the Land Tax and the Income T; x be resorted to. If an Income Tax is objected to, a good substitute would be found in » duty on receipt stamps ranging from 6d over five pounds upwards to a thousand, in certain proportions. If i every high salaried indh idnal bad to give a stamped receipt for bis income every receiver of interest o . money lent, the rich or h'ghly favored would be got hold 1 of, and an enormous revenue obtained with but a trifling increase of collection, this with a a t;.x upon farriag's' on guns and an iucu-iise <;f thu lax upon all oogs but sheph. id's dogs would be f mm. ;,I,im st, enuu.h without further taxation.