TAXING BACHELORS.

Evening Star, Issue 7652, 30 June 1888, Page 4

TAXING BACHELORS.

TO THE EDITOR, Sir,— The Premier’s reply to Mr Bruce, M.H.R., upon the above is very unsatisfactory, when we consider that a sum amounting to L 4 per head upon every man, woman, and child has to be provided every year to pay the interest on the borrowed money. I think it is only fair to rpake bachelors bear a portion of the burden. Just fancy how unjust the tax is at present: A man with a wife and ten children contributes L4B per annum to the revenue, whilst a bachelor gets off by contributing a miserable L 4. This is not fair to married men, No doubt some difficulty will be experienced in framing a Bill to suit all bachelors. Dr indicates this by suggesting to except) all those who are engaged, and an acquaintance of mine declares that he would claim exemption upon the ground of having been refused lots of times upon most frivolous pretexts, one female giving as her reason “That she would prefer some one who could handle a clothes prop better than he could.” I think the best way to get at the bachelors would be to put a poll tax on them, the same as the Chinamen. The Premier’s saying that bachelors are wicked and ought to be imprisoned does not meet the case, and does not display much statesmanship.—l am, etc., John Wortuinoton. South Dunedin, June 30.