THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1878.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3002, 28 September 1878, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1878.

The Government achieved an ea»y victory in Committee last night on the Land Tax Bill, when the principle of the Bill as set forth in Clause 4 was attacked. Mr Ballance threw down the gauntlet, but the Opposition was too disorganised to take it up, and the division resulted in affirm* ing the principle of the Bill by 41 to 12. The clause on which it sdemed a stand would be made, and which elicited defiance from Mr Ballance, is as follows :— 4. For the purposes of this Act all land in New Zealand liable to duty under this Act shall be valued in the manner hereinafter mentioned: (1.) All land shall, be valued at the capital value thereof to sell, after deducting therefrom the value of all improvements thereon; (2.) In Counties no land shall be deemed of a 'less primary value than one pound per acre; (3.) In Boroughs no land shall be deemed to be of a less primary value than fifty pounds per acre ; (4.) Crown lands held by any person for pastoral purposes shall be valued at the capital value of such lands to sell, after deducting the value of all improvements. Subsections 2 and 3 were struck out in Committee, and the clause as amended was agreed to. It is not expected that very much revenue will be derived from this tax the first, year. The Government seem to be fighting for the principle —getting in the thin, edge, of the wedge. The experiment will be a costly one, but it will be useful for the future in carrying but their policy, and will be-of value if any suplus remains after cost of collection of the tax. * '