THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 1877.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2574, 7 April 1877, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 1877.

The following is a copy of the letter of the Town Clerk, Auckland, to the sharebrokers of that city regarding the necessity of taking out a license :—•" I am requested to direct your attention to the license required under the Sharebrokers Act, 1871, Amendment Act, 1872 (the fees being receivable by this Corporation). The licenses are, however, issued on application to the Collector of Customs'to whom the fees are firstly payable.—-I have, &c, P. A. Philips, Town Clerk." Now the Act to which Mr Philips alludes imposes a necessity on everyone who carries on business as a sharebroker of paying a fee of £25 annually. This sum of £25 has. not, as a matter of fact, been paid by some sharebrokers for some time, and the non-payment has been winked at by the Government. These are facts which beget thoughts, and the thoughts beget two questions—(l). Is there any necessity for the tax imposed ? (2.) If so, why is it that the payment has not been enforced? The necessity for the tax consists simply in this? That it brings, or should bring in money; the probable reason why it has not been enforced i 3 this: tha,t ii was manifestly unjust. .. Now if the only reason be' that a certain tax in money, and that money is required, the same reason may be as. justly urged in favour of any tax whatever, no matter how unfair, or how absurd it may bei It comes to this. Money is wanted; somebody must find it; why not ihe sharebrokers? Reason might answer why not the drapers ? Why not tax grocers and everyone who sells anything, whether the article he sells be already taxed or not; is there any reason why sharebrokers should be taxed more than any one else, except that' their" money is as good as that of any one else ? It maybe said oh, yea, there is, a man who has large amounts of other people's; money passing through his hands ought' surely to be in a position to pay £25; if| not, he ought not tp be allowed to holdsuch a responsible posit jqn. But there is surely no reason why because a] man has money it should be taken, from him. It might be suitable toi the principles which animated the Commune, but is hardly applicable to others. Again it may be Said that it acts as a safeguard to k,eep out those who being men of no means, and no principles might" make a bolt of it" unless they had something to forfeit. The answer is. this that if men intend to be dishonest it is not such a sum as £25 as would prevent them being so, on the contrary they would have, to make their defalcations on a larger scale so as to recoup themselves for the ;£25 already expended. Should it be said that the fee. charged would "keep the stockbroking fraternity select, and prevent the introduction of black sheep; it can with truth be said that stockbrokers^ are as a rule as much alive to their, own interests as any body of men whatever, and as it is not to their interests to have, black sheep among them they will take precious good care to expel them. If the brokers care to charge a fee or a subscription of £25 or any other sum before allowing a man to join their number, let them do so, and let them do what they like with the money, but-that is a very different thing f ronvmaking them pay whether they will or not, and spending the money for other people's advantage. These, and othor

reasons of a similar nature which might be as easily urged and as easily refuted, amount to what we stated at the outset, viz., that money is wanted, and therefore the brokers *mus£;.be taxed additionally. This is evidently uujust, and it is to be hoped that for this reason it is that the tax has not been rigorously enforced. There seems a likelihood of its being enforced now, but only in the province of Auckland. Not only brokers but all who care for right and justice should try to get the law abrogated. If they unfairly tax brokers one day and miners another, there is nothing to prevent them from taxing bellmen, night watchmen, and everyone else who cares to work,for lrliving. _^