HOW TO PAY FOR THE LOAN.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 850, 15 August 1871, Page 2

HOW TO PAY FOR THE LOAN.

The Wellington "Evening Post" says:—"While speculating on the large development of the internal resources of the country which will result from the expenditure of the money now in course of being borrowed by the General Government, it is well to bear in mind that the repayment of this loan will have to be provided for by some form of taxation additional to that already in existence. That the colonists will be heavily taxed for years to come is inevitable, and the only thing that can be done is to devise a method of taxation which shall apportion the burthen with the nearest possible approach to fairness to all classes of the community. This could be accomplished by specially taxing articles of luxury and vanity, and-im-posing moderate duties on those which are of universal or very general use. As the case at present stands, the taxes on tea, coffee, sugar, tobacco, and common boots and clothing, cause the poorer class of people to bear an undue share of the load, while the rich obtain their jewelry, velvets, satins, and all the more expensive articles of refinement and luxury at a rate which does not make them contribute their equitable share of taxation. In the last revision of the tariff, some improvement was effected, but there is still much more to be done in the direction pointed out. There must, however, be direct taxation throughout the colony before property owners can be compelled to contribute their just and equitable share to the general revenue, and thereby relieve, to some extent, those who, though poorest, are the most heavily taxed.