EQUALITY OF TAXATION.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 9336, 4 April 1893, Page 2

EQUALITY OF TAXATION.

The Government organs are perpetually dinning it Into oar ears that the Ministerial polioy Is "equality of taxation." VV ell, here is a tabular statement showing how wealth would be taxed if left idle in a bank or invested in land :— i Taxation. £1000 placed on deposit] ... Nil £1000 invested in land ... £2 1 8 £2000 placed on deposit ... Nil £2000 invested in land ... £7 510 £3000 placed on deposit „. Nil £3000 invested in land ... £12 10 0 £5000 placed on deposit ... Nit £5000 invested in land • ... £25 8 9 £7000 placed on deposit ... £0 7 6 £7000 invested Id land ... £32 16 3 The polioy of a uew country like New Zealand, which has to pay its debts out of the produce of the soil, should be to encourage the employment of capital in j

bringing the soil under cultivation. Bat where is the encouragement disclosed in the above statement? We do not objeofc to land being taxed. Like other forma of wealth it should contribute its share to the -revenue of the colony. Bat we do object to it being specially singled on* to bear fiscal burdens. "K quality of taxation," forsooth 1 Where is the "equality" which taxes a loan company or a private individual on money invested on mortgage, and yet makes no snch demand from a wealthy bank lending money on mortgage? Where ie the "equality 1 ' which takes more from the Industrious settler who highly improves his holding than from his unthrifty neighbor? The property tax had inequalities, we admit, and some of these have been removed under the present taxation scheme. We have no quarrel with many of its features, which are fair enough. Bnt for every inequality removed it has created two mote glaring inequalities. We have a long way to go yet before we get to the equality stage, despite the load assertions that we have arrived there.

A report of the Waipnkurau Jockey Club's annual race meeting and other sporting news will be found on the fourth page. Sir Patrick Bnckley arrived in Napier on Saturday night, and yesterday left for Taupo. The usual Wednesday half-holiday will Dot be observed to»moiro\v, owing to the whole holiday yesterday. A man who gave the name of M'Kee, but who is usually called otherwise, was nrrested yesterday when stupidly drnnk for using bad language in a public place. There were *hree members of the House on the Waipuknrau racecourse yesterday. One was Captain Russell, and the other two were Messrs Smith and Cadman. Owners and trainers of horses should be Interested in the notification by the Town and Suburban Racing Club with reference to the nominations for the olub's meeting on the Queen's Birthday. On the arrival of the membars of the Napier Union Rowing Clnb last night, by the Waihora, they were greeted on landing with hearty cheers and congratulations on their success at Gwborne. A. series ot model yeoht races were sailed in the inner harbor yesterday, and created great interest and excitement) among the onlookers. The boats owned by Messrs Macintosh. Taylor, and Augrove were generally the most successful, Owing to her detention during the holidays at Sonthern ports, the departure from Napier of the s.s. Wnrrimoo has now been postponed until Saturday. The vessel will arrive at daylight, and after discharging her_careo will be despatched direct for Auckland some time in the forenoon. At the performance at the Theatre Royal to-morrow evening by the Riley and Colina' Concert Company, a feature in the programme will be the performances of Madame Lyola, an artiste who has aohieved an Australasian reputation as " The Lady with the Iron Jaw," and of her husband, a talented athlete. Mr J. Cowell, of the Wanderers' Bicycle Club, gave a good account of himself yesterday at Wellington, in connection with the Druids' sports, winning the big handicap with two firsts and a third. Newman, of the same club, was third in two events. Bissell had the bad fortune to fail. The new gymnasium club in connection with the Working Men's Clnb will be opeced to-night, Mr R. Cargill, the instructor, will be present, and will be glad to see intending pupils. The club starts with a fair plant, including a rowing machine, horizontal bar, dumbbells, Indian clubs, boxing gloves, &c. John William Bible, whose successful search after an attack of alcoholic trouble has been referred to, was brought up at the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday and formally charged. He was in a bad state, being almost as much broken up as when he was before the Court a month ago, and was accordingly remanded for a week to be again doctored in gaol, If one may judge by private telegraphic messages received in town, they must judge horse races very funnily in Auckland, The messages, while slightly varying in the wording, stite that Noyade won the Northern Champagne Stakes at Auckland on Saturday by a length, although the judge placed a horse named Eve first and Noyade third. At the interview at Christchurch between the unemployed and Mr SeddoD, some of the men had a very short tale to tell— they wanted steamer passes to the North Island. They got them, which should be interesting to us, seeing that these men have been described by " Liberal " papers as loafers and spongers who make their wives slave at the washtub to keep them loafing around the public-houses. The late severe weather did no damage to the completed portion of the breakwater. A portion of the foundation of the unfinished work at the end must have subsided, however, as during the heavy swell which was rolling in yesterday the outer_ tier of blocks could be observed working to and fro, as though bung on a pivot. This tier numbered 15 blocks, each weighing 30 tons, so that the swinging mass weighed a total of 450 tons. A curious scene ocenrred in the Wesleyan Conference in Adelaide recently, when some of the elder and graver members moved a resolution condemning the socialistic utterances of the young Methodist parsons at their meeting in Albert Hall to discuss the new social era. They said they could not countenance a movement which would end In revolution, The Rev. C. H. Neild made a speech amid much excitement, denouncing some of the wealthiest ehnrch members as the hardest masters and mistresses in Adelaide. The spectators iv the gallery cheered, and the president threatened to have them removed. Mr Neild proceeding, said that when the Rev. Hugh Gilmore lay ou his deathbed a prominent member of Parliament said, '• He is a Socialist and a bad man, and I hope he will die. 1 ' This led to another scene of great excitement, and finally a resolution was passed staticg that the meeting in Albert Hall had nothing to do with the conference.