THE EDUCATION TAX.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXX, Issue 5225, 21 May 1874, Page 2

THE EDUCATION TAX.

It ia not what 1a desirable in the way of taxation that the public obtain, for nothing of that kind is desirable, or ever lias been, or ever will bo. Taxation is never popular, and at best it is only endured. An improvement in the Hystem of rating which wh suggested yesterday, is one which wo should havo very gladly seen introduced, — a regular rate on all real property according to annual value, which would have been a much more equitable and far simpler tax than the opposed household rate. That, however, there was no hope of gottiug in the present tempor of thoio whom wo term our legislative masters, and therefore the taxpayers must aocupt with the best grace they can, the resolutions tho Council passed yesterday Iixing the rating clauses A necessary amend mont was tuailo in tho lowest rate m the fioalo, by changing tho rental liable to tho £1 rate from sill icnts of £10 and under, to lents of £20 and under. With this addition tho clause was adopted as it stood, and tho rates are now fixed as follow :— On houses of £20 and under ... .Cl On houses abovo £20, and not exceeding £■">() . ... 2 On houses abovo t.")0, and not cccooding £100 .... .3 On housed above jCIOU ... ... 'i It is impossible to make a tax of this kind a satisfactory ono, or to arrange tho incidence B o th.it it shall fall equally on the shouldors of tlio ratepayer. The ocoupants of the dwellings liable to the lowost soalo of rental havo not much to complaiu of. They aie far bettor off under this system of rating thin under that proposed by the bill as it first appealed in the Council, and if the estimates of tho Provincial Tieasurer *ro noar tho maik, Uid money necessary for the yoar's expenditure ought to bo pretty well provided. Hut the queHtiou \i, are th( so fiyures to bo depoudod on ? Has a suUicicat discount bo. n in ulc for iho cost of collection, and for tho det.uilfc of p'.yinotit which in nifuiy cnsu3 ii likely to occur? That wo shall not tins morning stop to examine ; but there can be no question that a very large reduction will be rcquisito ou these contingent events.

The proposed tux on bachelors was as we fanciort it woulrl, without regard to the probabilities of its being collected, carried by the Council, and not only w»b it carried but the amount was doubled, 20i. being fixed asthn rate instcvl of 10*. as proposed by tlm Government, the Government mem. b ri voting against their own proposal, and adopting the amendment of Mr. Ormiston in favor of the h'gher amount. According to this decision, if it ii not ultimately capsved Mr. Reed's estimate of £2. 1 },(j<)(), a9 the available proceprls from all quarters, would ba increased to £'?7,- r )00, the additional l(L^tn bachelors yielding £4,500, making thf^^in. fortunate class of solitary bemga pay no leas than £0,000, or fully a third of the entire expenditure and for the purposo of educating other people'nchildren|! The incidence of taxation heia shows an unquestionably unequal pressure. Tho household rate n estimated to produce — we take the Provincial Treasurer's figures. £16,700, while bachelors who have neither home nor hall but who Jenable a large number of householders to pay their rent and their taxes too, are made to pay an additional £9,000, or fully 54 per cent, more than the whole householding community pay— the community who hare the children to be educated. They r«al!y pay double ; for they aid the people with whom they lodge to pay both rent and education tax too, and then they pay for themselves besides, whil« they ha\ e no children to educate It may be a ven good joke for the Councillors, but tho bachelors will scarcely be likely to view it in thit light. If it is an incentive to marry, then the bright "thousand and one virgins of Parnell" may exalt their horns, and thank tho Council ; tut how if these unf >itunato fellows, either from motives of prudence, or becan«o the ladies are too fastidious, are bachelors in spite of themh"lves ? We doubt whether this impost, as it has passed in committee, will be permitted to stand part of the Act. I' was a sudden surprise, and successful, onlv the (Government meinbeis votiDg against their own original proposal ; which, of oou ra", as thore was money to be got by it, they will no doubt be prepared gleefully to justify. The whole thing is unsound iu principle, but at was naively said by » member of Council, " Whether the bachelor ( ax lie bucces^ful or not, it is as easy to colhot a pound as to collect ten shillings." Anr> so it passed in the affirmative, but it will not surprise us to learn that the bill hns been re committed for the purpose of re-. considering that particular clause.