PROPERTY AND INCOME TAX.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1831, 4 June 1874, Page 3

PROPERTY AND INCOME TAX.

To the Editor of the Thambs Abvkbtiseb. I, Sie, —The nnst sensible measure yob proposed ia our Provincial Uounoil is the moti)ii of'' Mr Swahto< petition tho ;: 'i Ireueral Assembly to levy.a property and income lax in place of the poll, and other . opproHsive and unequal taxes, whibli'; ; infest all new Colonial Governments— the samo'to be distributed amongst the ! several proviucas.of the colony in & capi- : ;>> tatioa on the basis of population, i-. very sensible person is aware that money must; '' be raised to meet necessary expenses, and the main question with the Legislature should be, the fairest; way to raise the funds,, at the least possible inconvenience to the public, vlr Swan, in my opinion, ' has been fortunate in his suggestions, for wliatcan be fairer than oaoh one contributing acoordiug to his means, : which is'... comprehended in the proposed tax P It simplifies everything, for no man can reasonably grumble at paying his fair proportion towards the Government of

that country he calls hii own- it has been a matter of surprise to me some'? time that this fair and equitable tax has ■■•'■ been delayed so long, and nothing but tho c l opposiliou 10 it by men of means ooiild '" Imve staved it off so long. It was not a popular tax at home, when first levied, owing to the prying nature of the questions necessary to get at eaoli one's income, whicli wai very distasteful to Englishmen generally, Hut, after the first your or t«o, the fairness of tue tax reconciled each oue to the little disagreeables necessary to a correct return. According to the estimates each year, so is the tax increased or diminished. ; One

peuay in the pound bring* in upwards of: v one million It haa" been down to 3fd, j and during the Crimen war up to la Jid, ■-■'■'• and yet paid cheerlnlly. 1 speak ad- ' visedly, as 1 was one of the first plerks - ,i appoiuted. to the Property las Office ia' (ii -" tibuwrsetHuUsa under the Inland Bevonue Commissionera to carry oui> the working of the Act) and during tbe ten years' I remained had ample opportunities of watching its progress, as during that time

1 went through every department in the office, he tax u raised at home on

incomes over £15i) per annum, so that tho '. , man who has £149 pays uothing/ 'Jthis, iu my opinion, is unfair; each one should be allowed £100 per annum free of taxa*' ■ ■ tiou, and pay on-the reuiaiuder. iivea ,i the borough rates shiuld be collected oa ; the basis of iuouio aud not oa tho annual value of ihe property ocoupied,.-.'■'<; It touches every one, whether married or, ' bachelor, oocupier of a house or lodgings { each pays Ins lair proportion, and if one finds he has to pay more than his neigh* hour, he can but tiuuk lioi for the pros* perityheeujiys. -lam, Jo., v . ""An tto (JovKaNunsr "Offiobbi ' r