The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1879.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 281, 4 October 1879, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1879.

A couRESPONDENr in another column draws attention to the fact that the Post Office, Masterton, is appointed as the place where the Land Tax is payable for County East. There is no doubt that the proper place for receiving it would be at Tinui. It is highly probable that if the Government insists upon it being paid at Masterton, they will find it a very arduous task to get their money, Thirty to sixty miles of rough roads intervene between Masterton and the Whareama settlers, and it is quite evident that they will not travel such distances in order to pay, in some instances, very trifling sums of money. Mr Crombie, the deputy commissioner, has made a mistake in not selecting Tinui as the place for the settlers in County East to pay their land tax; but we feel certain that when the error is pointed out to Mr Crombie, he will be anxious to meet the wishes d the public as far as it'lies in his power to do so, Mistakes are inevitable in bringing such an Act into operation. The other day a settler on the Opaki presented her land tax at the Masterton Post Office, but was informed that it was payable at- Carterton, and that she would have to go there to pay it. Of course blunders of this kind will be made, but it is evident that the settler we refer to is quite justified in refusing to go to Carterton, and declining to pay her land tax till the mistake made by the Department was rectified, The Whareama settlers, in our opinion, will be quite justified in refusing to pay their land tax until such time as the department makes proper arrangements tor receiving it. The Government, in collecting such a tax, will not be allowed to act unfairly and harshly, and for this reason it will be obliged to rectify mistakes like those which we have indicated. So for Mr Crombie has proved himself to be courteous and considerate towards the public in the discharge of his official duties, and we expect that any hardships which may have been imposed on settlers through a want of local knowledge will be remedied as soon as they are brought under his notice.

We are glad to learn that the division which took place last evening resulted, as we anticipated, in the DEFEAT of the MINISTRY. Forty-three voted against the Ministry, and forty-one for it. This is good news for the Colony, and will tend to put an end to many of the embarrassments under which New Zealand has latlatterly labored.