THE GOLD DUTY.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 842, 27 July 1871, Page 2

THE GOLD DUTY.

(7b the Editor of the Westport Timet ad Charleston Argus.) Sir, —In your issue of Tuesday last I see a coi-respondent from Christmas Terrace, giving it as his opinion, and that of the miners generally, that ths gold duty should be materially lessened or abolished altogether. While he has a perfect right to give that as his own opinion, I question very much.if it is generally held by the miners. ■ In the present depressed state of the revenue it would be unreasonable to expect any reduction in our taxes unless to bring us on a par with the agricultural and other districts. If we are to advocate a reduction of taKSt the gold duty, is certainly not the first I to strike at. I freely admit that iti ] a direct tax on our labour, and conn* I queutly a hindrance to enterprise, J» I we arc not called upon to pay it unles* 1 we are actually getting gold. Tour correspondent justly remarks that it is a great hindrance to the working of poor ground; but surety j it is a greater hardship to pay so high for our living when we are getting no gold at all than to pay half a crown an ounce when our income is small. The nature of the ground in this district requires, that from four to twelve months be spent prospecting before wo know whether we will get gold or not; and as we have all to go through the same performance before we get gold (unless we have money tp buy into a claim that is already on gold) it ought to be our first duty to lessen, if possible, the." dead horse, caused by such a length of time of unproductive labour. ..: I think if we are going to take « upon us to advise our representative, in the' Assembly, instead of crying out against the gold duty, which costs W

little to collect, he ought to pray that we be freed from supporting those hungry dev#a in Nelson, and the money thu& saved to be spent in making tracks and other requisites on the goldfields. Surely our "Warden and Engineer, and whatever other officers .we might require, could get their instructions from headquarters, and if the Nelsonites are determined to have a Lilliputian Parliament and a staff of officials, by all means let them have the rights of a Briton, vifc., to pay for what they possess. I am, Ac, Minee. Rochfort Terrace, July 26tb.