IMMEDIATE.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3415, 2 December 1879, Page 2

IMMEDIATE.

To tho Editor of tho Ev|ikin» Stah.);"»

Sin, —As there is every'prqbability that the Property Tax Bill wilt be ruilied through the House in a few days, it is important that we shou'd all understand it and if objectionable,' take immediate steps to make public opinion known and felt in the House. The particulars as briefly stated in your leader of yesterday's issue are very startling, and I think with you sir the measure is excessively oppressive. The need of extra taxation is evident, but this " American notion" its it has been termed hits the wrong nail on the head. The " luconie Tax "of Great Britain is acknowledged by all financier! and thoughtful men to be theoretically the true method of taxing an enlightened natioc, the objections raised to it are not that it is oppressive but- that it is inquisitorial —but this threatened Property Trx is loth. I think it will be easy to show that it is wrong in' principle as well as singularly cruel in its incidence. We admit that a uiuri should be taxed according to his means—that is, his income; but only one year's tax on one year's profits; Bub the proposed Property Tax ii retrospective and taxes a man for every year of his past life when he has lived ■within his income and taxes the same surplus of income over and over again during each, succeeding year: by its operation tiie self denying provident man bears all the burden while the self-indul-gent and improvident goe« free. To show my meaning—suppose A and B came to the colony 10 years ago; say each bai made an average income of £250 per annum. A has lived at the rate of £300J paying his debts occasionally with the " whitewash brush "—of course he goes free, as he has no trouble to prove that his liabilities exceed his assets at any time—but, on the other hand, B has paid his way, and spent £50 a year in establishing a comfortable home or stocking his shop; how does he fareP First he is taxed on the £500 being the saved income of the past ten years,' and secondly he is taxed on tho same property next year, and so on.. Why should B pay and not A ? Hat her should Abe brought up, I think; he has robbed his family and his creditors by his extravagance, and a generous Parliament lets him oft* paying his share of the national expenses, and charges it to JB, for that is really what it amounts to. Perhaps in. few cases will it be felt more cruelly severe than by the country settlers in the North Island. A man going on to virgin land must struggle against difficulties. He must live in the most frugal mnnner, uniil by his constant labor he has made his farm workable. But long before that time if it has reached % nominal value exceeding £300 he is called upon to pay this tax, while the noble array of "haw-haw-ing " spendthrift " gentry," drawing large salaries (in many cases out of the public exchequer) pay nothing, and n^t^feelingly sing " Britons never shall be slaves," Another objection to this tax is, that iis oppressiveness is most severely felt when the ability to pay it is at the lowest ebb, such as the present period of commercial stagnation; property is possessed, but can neither be traded with nor disposed of; the tax must be paid even although a man may bo getting poorer every day-_by living on his stock or savings, which doubtless many are doing at the present time. The assessment of real estate iv large holdings is just, because it is either a source of income or is being held for speculative purposes, which latter should be discouraged in a colony whose success depends on the cultivation of its soil; but the assessment of goods or chattels, even to our very shirts, is intolerable. The only excuse for such a tax would be imminent national danger, when a pro rata levy might bo made on the property _ requiring protection, but such would be * special case, to meet an emergency, whereas this is to be permanent annual tax, with the inqnisiton authorized to corao round every three years, enter our premises, Ac, etc. For such indeed are the provisions of this monstrous Bill, which, if unchallenged by us, may become law in a few days ! Thanks to the Press for the warning, who will take the. next step towards asserting our rights P— I am, &c, November 2,1870.