The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In the cause of Truth and Justice we strive. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1871.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 883, 4 November 1871, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In the cause of Truth and Justice we strive. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1871.

The imposition of new and additional taxes, was a matter for which the country was generally prepared. The decrease in revenue for 18G9 as compared with the year 1868, and the still larger deficit of 1870, rendered it c iinpulsory for the colonial expenditure to be greatly reduced, or that a large additional taxation should be imposed. The articles that have been selected for the latter purpose are grain, flour, vice, hops, malt, soap, and timber. The alteration in the stamp duties affects the payment of any sum of money exceeding £2, which after the 20th inst. will require the use of apenny receipt stamp. What thislast item of revenue is likely to yield we have no means of estimating approximately. The statistics for the year 1569 showing the general imports into the colony of New Zealand enable us to arrive at an aproximate estimate of the increase that the new grain duties will yield to the revenue. Flour, according to these figures, will give an additional £6OOO to £7OOO, per annum ; barley, maize, and wheat, £6OOO ; rice, £2,500; malt. £5500; hops, £4000: soap, £650. The quantity of sawn timber imported in 1869 was 4.117,485 feet, but the duty to be levied is not mentioned in our telegram. The items enumerated, exclusive of [stamps and timber, would furnish, according to the scale of import returns during 1869, about £32,000; and, estimating stamps and timber as yielding £BOOO, would give a sum of £40,000 as the amount annually derivable from the newly imposed duties ; assuming that the increased rate does not interfere with the quantities imported. The value of grain imported during 1869, excluding rice and malt, was about £83,000, maize and wheat representing very nearly the whole of this amount. The exports of grain for that year were £96,000 distributed as follows: Bushels. £ Oats ... 342,677 ... 52,664 Barley ... 92,557 ... 22,970 Wheat ... 81,758 ... 19,616 Malt ... 3,564 ... 1,191 Barley and oats are no longer imported, the home growth supplying local consumption and leaving a large balance available for exportation. The importation of wheat has also become very limited, but malt still continues a considerable item, the value received from foreign coutries amounting in 1869 to £56,000. With regard to the equity of this form of taxation, it must be added that a revenue upon breadstuffs should never have been resorted to so long as absentees, mortgagees, and the moneyed and property classes are escaping their fair share of the public burdens. The present mode of obtaining a revenue seems altogether in the wrong direction. When duties are imposed upon luxuries, and upon articles not indispensable, they, in effect, constitute a species of voluntary taxation. He who elects to forego the luxury can evade the taxation. But clearly this is not the condition of things where there is a duty upon breadstuffs. The duty may be small and scarcely appreciable to the consumer, but the principle in all its injustice remains the same. Unjust, inasmuch as it imposes an additional burden upon the labouring man, whose lot is already sufficiently severe, and who a few years hence must become less able to carry his present load of taxation. Neither can those in favour of a protective policy argue that those duties were necessary in order to encourage the "home consumption of grain. The large export of grain

from New Zealand shows to the contrary. It shows that it can be shipped to foreign markets, and after deducting all charges for shipping and sale, yet leave a fair margin of profit to the grower. In the provinces of Canterbury and Otago these duties will be approved as being the means of improving the consumption of breadstuff to the prejudice of the foreign grown article. Our agriculturists have long enthusiastically urged that some artificial legislative expedient should be resorted to in order to divert the grain trade of those provinces into one of its most profitable channels. And at the expense of the gold producing industry their supreme wish hasbeen gratified. But it is matter for regret that some less objectionable form of taxation had not been devised by the Government to supplement the falling revenue of the colony; or better still, that retrenchment had been introduced, gp as to reduce our heavy expenditure. In the Warden's Court at Westport yesterday, applications for gold mining leases were made by George Weston, Charles Flannery, and John M'lntyre. Weston's was for five acres of ground situate at Giles Terrace. The lease was recommended subject to any rights of Ashton and party, who are at present working ground within the boundaries of the proposed lease. Five men are to be employed on the lease; the ground to be worked by tunnelling; the rental to be 20s the first year, and subsequently £1 10s. The term of the lease is three years. Flannery's application was negatived on the ground that the lease consisted of unworked ground; and M'lntyre was to amend his application. Registration of a branch tunnel for the purpose of a tail race was granted to O'Toole and party, Addison's Plat. A corner section in Lyttelton and Palmerston streets, with a small cottage, was sold at auction on Wednesday and realised £4B. Mr Jules Simon was the purchaser. The schooner Mary Stewart, Captain Brown, left Port Philip Heads on the 24th ult, in company with the schooner Ceres, and experienced fair winds and fine weather until reaching the New Zealand coast yesterday morning, after a passage of ten days. She brings a full cargo of general merchandise, and is consigned to Mr John Corr. Thursday, the 9th instant, being the anniversary of the birth of H. E. H. the Prince of Wales, the Provincial Government offices will be closed on that date. The tender of W. Morris has been accepted for the repair of the Cape Foulwind Road. The Postmaster-Gen sral invites tenders for a mail service by dray or coach between Westport and Charleston. The tenders already received have been refused as too high. The schooner Maid of Erin would probably leave for Melbourne early this morning. The sweep on the Melbourne Cup will be drawn this evening at the Empire Hotel. The race takes place to-day, and the result will be probably known at the latter part of the ensuing week. Two hundred signatures have been already obtained in the Inangahua District in favour of the petition praying for a dray road between the Inangahua Junction and Reefton. There remains but one barge-load of stoue to be delivered in order to complete the 600ton contract. A thousand tons are still required to protect the bank as far as the upper groin.