THE DOG TAX.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1022, 14 March 1882, Page 2

THE DOG TAX.

Tothj Editoh, The following is a translation »f a letter from the natives in the Wairarapa did trict .- 1. Thip is what the Maoris are gm'ng tn say; To the Council.-Dear frieuda,"th« Council have put the tax upon dogs in the Wairarapa district.—This is what we are going to.aay :-We do not like to p;y tax fur dogs when wu live out, of ih« towns'; supposing we kept d»gs for the only purpose of following us about in the streets, such as ladies' put. dons, we would agree to pay taxes for them, but all our dogs are kept to kill the rabbits, 2. We had no members in the Council of the Wairarapa district at the time the tax was put upon the dogs, A member is one that should side with both races—the Maori and the Pakeha. The Government agreed for the natives to hare Counoils in all districts of this island Look at the law passed in 1872, if you see that you will say we are tight for saying what we have said,

3 You are in the wrong to tax working dogs; look at the law passed in 1880 in 22nd verso, you will find it there, Dear friendß do not put the tax on working dogs; the raemberß of the Councils ought to see that it is not fair to put the tax on working dogs, because the dog is the help of man. In the first place: a shepherd cannot do his work without a dog. The tame doits kill the wild dogs. The dog is good for hunting the cattle and wild pigs, The dog is good to put the rabbits down. The dog is good to find and briig duoks, &n, to his master when the eye of man oanuot see them, That is our reason for not agreeing to the tax that is put upon the working dog. Dear friends, we hope you are well. Do not put the tax upon the working dogs. If you still mean to tax the dogs, we will see what oan be done for us in Parliament. Dear friends we hope jou are well, frOD SAVE THE QoEEH AND Kino Tawhiao,

From the Natives in the Wairarapa District, Province of Wellington, March 13,1882,