The Westport Times. TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 1873.

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1099, 19 August 1873, Page 2

The Westport Times. TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 1873.

Tup: reduction of the proposed Customs tariff to an uniform rate of ten per cent, ad valorem, on all dutiable goods, should give general satisfaction. The clamor raised against the the proposal as first made by the Colonial Treasurer, arose chiefly from a fear that the new system would press unduly upon those least able to bear increased taxation, and that to evade the now duties merchants and traders would be tempted, beyond the bounds of moral resistance, to make false declarations as to the value of goods imported, and thus corruption and fraud would ensue. The first argument was more feasible than the last, the probability of the new imposts pressing hardly upon particular consumers having been more likely to prevail than the chances of the Customs department long remaining blind to tricks of trade and attempts at defrauding the revenue. It was admitted that the principle of ad valorem duties was sound, and presenting a more fair and equitable method of taxation than measurement duties, but the difficulty was seen at once to he in so modifying the new system as to

prevent injustice to any one class of consumers. Mr Vogel in substituting for the tariff of varying percentages, as first proposed, a uniform rate of ten per cent, has struck the happy medium between things possible and things oppressive, and the members of the House in adopting his amended suggestion have avoided offending either the protectionist or free trade section of the community. The one must recognise in the tariff a protective influence in many branches of native industry, that is if they choose, as protectionists generally do, to ignore the influence of increased duties in causing a demand for increased wages, and the other party while admitting that taxation is an evil necessarv to be borne, will not readily devise any better plan for more fairly equalising the burden. Admitting that ad valorem duties may in effect be found to mean more taxation, it must be also admitted that the exigencies of colonial affairs need it, and that the public have long anticipated that the meeting of the Colonial Parliament would herald some addition to the public contribution to relieve the growing fiscal burthens of the state. In fact the New Zealand public have reason for congratulation that the impending imposition of a Property and Income tax has been deferred, for yet another season.

The whole gist of the hurried memorials sent from various centres of population has been that ad valorem duties would press heavily on the working classes and interfere materially with trading operations, The modification of the tariff as announced, will remove any grounds for the first objection, and the moderate and uniform duty now to be imposed should enable the trading portion of the community to keep the balance of power equally distributed, without affording to any one section of importers any exceptional advantages. It is fortunate that this weighty subject has been so satisfactorily disposed of. The members may now turn their attention to other practical work of the session, as indicated in the Financial Statement, but yet hardly touched upon.