KNIGHTS OF LABOUR.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3860, 17 July 1891, Page 2

KNIGHTS OF LABOUR.

A Spirit of Dissatisfaction, At a meeting of the Wellington Assembly of the Knights of Labour, held on Wednesday night, the following resolutions were passed : Whereas the principal planks in the platform of the Labour Patty before the last general "lection were (a) Abolition of the property Tax; (b) remission of Customs duties on the necessaries ot lite to the extent of a free breakfast table; (c) a tax upon bare land (exempting all improvements) to the extent of 1 per cent on the capital value. And as it appears from the debate on the Financial Statement that none .of these conditions are likely to be fulfilled, it is resolved by this Assembly that the members of the Hou3e of Representatives known as Labour members—aud all other members of the Liberal party—be written to, drawing their attention to the pledges made by them during the election contest, with a request that they will adhere to the same.

Whereas it is the opinion of this Assembly of Knights of Labour that the proposals of the Government, as shown in the Financial Statement, are unsntistactory to wage" earners generally, and promise to afiord them no relief from the heavy taxation they are now experiencing. This assembly wishes to point out to the Labour M.H.R's that—l. The remission of £40,000 of postage charges, however desirable from a commercial point of vieir, is really a contribution to the coffers of banks and similar monetary institutions, large merchants and others, but of no appreciable benefit to the wage-earning class. 2. That the continuance of a tax on improvements is a breach of faith with the electors of the colony, a majority of *honi hare strongly denounced its continuance. 8. That any exemptions in a land tax are unjust and altogether wrong in principle. If it is right to tax land, then all land should be taxed in a just proportion according to its value. 4. That the proposed progressive land taxation by one-eighth of a penny is most undesirable, as leading to unnecessary complications, and that a simple rate of, say, 108 per cent, would bring in more revenue, and allow of every elector proving for himself, in his own locality, if the assessment was correct. 5. That the incidence of the proposed new taxation is not changed to any appreciable extent, and the difference mainly comprises a change in name only, 6. That the proposals under

be Land for Settlements Bill are both unwise and pernicious, inasmuch as they offer a premium to jobbery, will have the effect of keeping up the speculative price-of land, and in effect ask the people of the colony to buy back the added value given to the land by the expenditure of the borrowed millions.