RATES AND TAXES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume IV, Issue 1129, 27 June 1867, Page 5

RATES AND TAXES.

To the Editor of the Xett Zealand Herald. Sir,—You will pardon me for trespassing again so soon on your valuable space, but seeing-another letter :i tout contemporary's columns this morning on educational and other rates, I deem it prudent to advance another caution. How long- will the people show forth such rediculous carelessness ? One would think that they were naught but loJgerE in the old country, and that evidently they did not get their fill of taxation there. Their appetite being unappeased, is probably the cause of their mouths opening so often to the danger and annoyance of the public; annoyance, I say, because it is very grievous to us (and this is the voice of many) who have lived under the oppressive taxation of England, and to avoid which, we broke up comfortable homes, sacrificed the society of dear friends and relations, and emigrated to here, believing that we should be free from such a burden, and I fear that the incautious conduct of these writers is to a certain extent dangerous, inasmuch as they are likely to create or increase'that which we spent hundreds to escape, and whica they, as well as wo, ought to use every effort to check and keep down. I remember that there was a tirae when London, like Auckland, was not over burdened with taxes; look at it now ; see the distress in the east end ; look at the middle class and tradesmen ; see how they are oppressed wifh over taxation. This last mail brings us news of still further endeavours to increase this already crushing system, bj introducing another rate, to be called the iletropolitan improvement rate ; as though i-hey had not enough already. A deputation representing most of the Metropolitan vestries and district boards have memorialised parliament against it, but I pity them and their chance, for having myself lived under their thraldom for so many years, I think I can form a pretty correct idea as to the amount of iustii e they are likely to receive at the hands of their imperial benefactors ; but, however, as I believe those thoughtless writers are actuated by false impressions, believing that they are advocating a good, whereas they are doing the contrary, for they are advising that very thing that has, and is driving thousands from th eir birth place; I say I believe they are acting under false impressiors, for they do not appear to know the amount of wrong inflicted on the working and middle classes of Great Britain in the shape of taxation; therefore (with your kind permi-sion), I will just lay before them one case as an illustration of thousands of others in like circumstances, that they may judge of the advisabilty of advocating, or, for one moment countenancing, even, one unnecessary tax. As I have carefully preserved my receipts from the last house (a small six-roomed house in the city of London) I occupied, I can give ; ou ei;h rate with the amount per quarter: tiie one I was under charged, beinz rated at lid in the pound, and assessed at £IS, which would be £1 Is ; the second rate was assessed at the same value, the other rates being assessed at £20, my rent ac'ually being £2S per annum; poor rate, 19s 10d; church rate, 4s 6d ; water rate, Os Od ; police rate, Is Sd ; lighting rate. 3s 4d ; sewer rate, 5i ; main drainage rates, Ss 4d ; paving rate, 3s 4d; consolidated r.ite, 15s ; land tax, 3s lid ; house duty, 5s 3d ; making a total of £3 lis lid per quarter, which added up for the four quarters would be £14 7s gd; this, although assessed considerably below my actual rents i 3 no less than Ts SJ, above half what I was paying for rent, and this i= exclusive of propertv tax which the landlord had to pay. Now, if you don't think that we have reason to be annoyed at these incautious writers, seeing that these tares on the working striving people of England were not all brought about at once, but through a Succession of years, one added to the predecessors, until they have now become unbearable; first there is the poor rate, then the main drainage rate, did it not show the cowardly crushiug disposition of the Imperial legislators to jump at the slightest shadow of an excuse for clapping on an extra rate ; were we not paying sufficient as sewers rat': to cover this, which is only part of the same aifair ; if anybody chooses to go into the tables, and find the total of rateable property, and then take three pence in the pound, and look at the cost of construction of that main drain, and see also what it cost for repairing and maintaining the sewers, and you will see that they had no right to add this tax to the others which are more than sufficient to meet the requirements ; there is consolidated rate too, I always failed to understand what it was for ; the land tax and house duty,seemed to me like having to pay for the privilege of living in a house, as they have a tax on the property, which the landlord pays- Such is the system of taxation, twenty-eight pounds a year rent, with fourteen pounds seven shilling and eight pence rates; thu3 we Bee (per London newspapers) the struggling ratepayers are petitioning Parliament about it, and which drove us to seek a home for our posterity free as wo thought and hoped from such severe oppression. I cannot say all that I should like to say on this subject, I fear 1 have already encroached on your space, hut I hope I have said enough to convince these carelejs advocates of their rashness, for as I said in one of my previous letters, once get a rata passed, and you will find it will take all your time to get it repeciled.—l am, &c., E. 0. C. June 27, 18G7.