Hawke's Bay Herald TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1869. THE NEW STAMP ACT.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1111, 21 December 1869, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1869. THE NEW STAMP ACT.

We know not with whom the fault lies — whether with the Government or their officer, the Chief Commissioner of Stamps — but the public generally, and the mercantile community in particular, have been most cavalierly treated in the matter of the new Stamp Act, a digest of which we gave our readers in last issue. The gist of this Act is that, in almost every case, impressed stamps take the place of adhesive, which, after the Ist of January, are not allowed to be used in the cases indicated. The Act, it appears, has been proclaimed as coming into effect on the Ist January ; but no notice of the fact was given, except by proclamation in the Gazette, and very few persons indeed were aware of it. The impressed stamp can only be affixed in Wellington; communication with that city by steamer is now comparatively rave ; and it is almost certain that, when the Ist of January arrives, business transactions, especially on the part of country settlers, will be most seriously impeded, and, indeed, great and general inconvenience be experienced. How easy would it have been for the Commissioner, upon the issue of the Governor's proclamation, to have inserted an advertisement calling public attention to the approaching change. No such courtesy, however, seems to have been thought of, and the whole community, iv consequence, is involved in a serious difficulty. To add to the peculiarity of the position, none of the gentlemen occupying the position of Deputy-Commissioner seem to be able to afford the smallest modicum of information, . not having, apparently, received any com- ' municatlons or instructions on the subject. The Act itself is an absurdity ; the mauner of administering it is something much worse.