MAJOR JACKSON AND THE PROPERTY-TAX.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2547, 6 November 1888, Page 2

MAJOR JACKSON AND THE PROPERTY-TAX.

TO THE EDIT )R. Sir, —Major Jackson is reported to have said at Tc Awamutn that he thought the Property-tax would pi ess very heavily on the smail settler if the exemption was removed. Such an expression, in my opinion, is not honest. As Mrs Gamp says, " Betsy Prig, drink fair whatever you do, and I say, after you hare drank fairly, let every man pay bis score." This tax, to my thinking, is the greatest evil we, the colonists of New Zealand, suffer under. It is an indirect tai on labour, on frugality, thrift and tidiness ; but there' is one other evil in it, that is, the distinction of real and personal property. There is, or used'to be, near this place a saw-mill. The mill, engine, timber, horses and waggons are all personal properly, and cannot be taxed for local purposes by the General Government. It is patent to all that these mills cut up the local roads far in excess of any other industry. The land on which the timber is growing in i general is valued much below the surrounding farms. Let us take Farmer Walton or Jones, who have taken much trouble to produce a line crop of wheat. The Government valuer visits the farm, praises its neatness, the well-kept garden and wheat field, expatiates on its evenness, declaring it will go 40 bushels to the acre, and that at 4s a bushel the fai iner will soon be quite independent. He at once puts down the poor fanner's lands at £10 per acre ; but see the sequel. Perhaps the fanner has only, Bay 10 per ceil', of his land in wheat, and this did not turn out 40 bushels to the acre; neither did he got his 4s per bushel, but only 2s Bd, and by the time 4d per bushel for threshing and 8s per acre for reaping, besides expenses for carting, stacking, &c, have been defrayed, the farmer finds he has very little tor himself. So he concludes he will not grow any niore wheat, but for all that he has to pay tax to General and local Government, on the value of the wheat that is now in the Auckland Mills or in the bakers' Bhops. But then it is transferred from real property to personal, and though the land is run back into forn, the poor farmer has to pay a tax on the value of the land, when it was at its best. Let me point out another case.; There is a mill at Whatawhata. Like the other, all its appliances are personal. By falling the trees and converting tnem from real to personal property they, to all intents, are depreciating the real value of tho land. But look at those small settlers near Frankton, who are raising homes and orchards ; their trees and fruit are valued very highly, and even cabbagos are real property, and taxable to local bodies to raise a revenue to keep the roads in repair, in order that the saw mill may get its timber to market. But the fruit and cabbages when placed in the shop become personal property, and still the man who raised the fruit has to pay a tax for what he has not, or though- the codlin moths or other pests may have destroyed the orchard. Let me bring something before your and your readers' notice. Building materials, say blocks, timber, shingles, spouting, doors, sashes, lining, scrim, paint, nails and every requisite, whilst they remain in the timber yard and stores are personal property, but let a man start to utilise these things for his comfort and the country's progress, then they become real property and taxable to the State, and thus it is a tax on the daily labourer, the carpenter, the bricklayer, the painter and the finisher. Look again at the Piako swamp and other kindred estatos, What was their value before the spade and shove! of the unskilled labourer reclaimed them from the swamp ? The tax on this labour is more than rent, and most, oppressive. Is it any wonder all progress is at a stand still?' The money that should be spent in improvements is sent to Wellington in the shape of property-tax to be fritted away in maintaining an army of useless parasites. Is it anywonder there is scarcely any progress, that the youth and strength of the Country are leaving their Island home to become wanderers and aliens in other countries? Let our politicians, instead of always harping on taxation, study economy. • self-denial,; and public spirit. Let'me say "ditto"-to the electors who send them to Wellington, let the pruning knife be used with vigour to all our public institutions- and we shall soon have the purse strijup' of the wealthy loosening, and progfife • and prosperity smiling on the country. I would like to bring before your readers another instance. A i fottler near Cambridge wanting to add to the oomfort of himself and ■ family, draws out from safe investment, say £200, where it was bringing hira 7 per cent, for the purpose of building a now house. What does the local tax-gatherer do when the said houso is conipletod ? Why apply to the local body to have the said farmers' valuation amended, and when asked for his reason rcp'ief, ', What for no, has the tnon no got a new huse 1" This tax I have always opposed, and' will oppose whilst I am able, and I foci hopeful it will soon be abolished ; but until it is abolished let every man who wishes to record his vote for the proper and honest Government' of. the country, iay his whack; and I repeat any would-be member of Parliament, who would 'ad vacate to the contrary is not honest.—l remain, yours truly, OUAKAC. Ti-troe Flat, No.vomber 4tb, 1888.