THE PROPERTY-TAX.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2592, 21 February 1889, Page 2

THE PROPERTY-TAX.

TO Till-: KIIITOK,

Silt, in reading Major Atkinson's speech 011 tho Property-tax, one of his and it-' opponents says it will keep capital out of the country, and lie mentioned Sir ( ieorge Grey as ail authority ; this was received with cheers. I remember a speech of Sir George Grey's in which he said we did not want foreign capita), we were better without it ; and ho showed to his hearers that foreign capital was an evil, at least they must have believed so, for they cheered him. These Auckland people are curious people ; when Sir George Grey says foreign capital is an evil they cheer, when he denounces the Property-tax for keeping out foieign capital they cheer ! Mr Editor, the Property-tax does not and will not keep a single penny out of tho country; capitalists don't object to pay for the protection of their capital ; what they object to is making ducks and drakes of their money, and in the end neither receiving interest nor principle. Sir George Grey wanting to repudiate the in I crest as he has advocated, or \any other of his tail, or any other half fool and half loguo of a blatherskiter who would advocate repudiation either ol interest or principle, frightens (and very justly too) capital out of tho country. Mr .Kditor, tho opponents of the Property-tax say it is a tax upon industry. Well, why not? If industry leads to riches, are riches not to be taxed ? If a pick and shovel man becomes a millionaiie contractor, is ho not to be taxed upon his wealth ? If a banker's clerk becomes, by being diligent and industrious, a partner and ultimately worth a million, is this million not to be taxed '( 1 f a butcher, or a baker, or a doctor, or a lawyer by their industry are enabled to put money in the bank, is this money not to be taxed ? If a fifty acre man with one cow by his industry gets live hundred acres and ono hundred cows, is he not to bo taxed '! Mr Kditor, if these men are not to bo taxed, who are to be taxed? ft is amusing to see, these Auckland people, when they want to do good to themselves but an evil to the country, they always bring in the working man, they say tho taxis the ruin of tho working man. .1 tell those working men if capital is not to be taxed, then there are only themselves left to pay the taxes. If capital is not to bo taxed (and capital is property of all description, money, houses and lands goods and chattels), if these aro not taxed, there is only the working man and his tea and sugar to fall back upon. Mr Kditor, tho farmer who advocates a I,and and Income-tax is a fool. No doubt there should be an Lieoniotax iiiion men of largo salaries, but the Jn-come-tax along with the Land-tax would not make up for the Property-tax, and what was deficient by tho property-holders who are not laud property-holders Betting clear of it, this deficiency would have to be added to the Land-tax so as to make up to tho same amount now got from tho Pro. perty-tax. When will the country realise that the chief factor in taxation in adding to taxation is the. spending ? !f you spend lavishly you must bo taxed heavily ; if you retrench the spending you also retrench taxation. If we do not have great retrenchment our prosperity, if coming or has come, W'ill not live. Of c uirse we cannot live by retrenchment alone; we cannot live by water alone, yet we would die without it : so will we die without we have retrenchment. —Yours truly, IlAKAl'iri.

Thkrh are live hospitals for leprosy it? iV'orway, three of which aro in Bergen. UiSMAitOK is losing his appetite and memory. Ho still, however, clings fondly to cigars,