THE EDUCATION TAX.

New Zealand Herald, Volume X, Issue 2795, 13 January 1873, Page 3

THE EDUCATION TAX.

To the Editor of the Hkijam). Sib, —The Education tax is about to be put in force, according, I believe, to tho Act, exacting a rate of £1 per Jioubo. This Act, X believe, has been passed either by gentlemen possessing capital, or, otherwise, having no children. I believe the majority are in the latter case, or their children hare emancipated from their parents. Now, sir, I am a married man, and my children are young. I am not a man of means, and it is as much as I can do to give them an education with my slender means; jet, conceiving it my duty, I am bound to do so. I deprive myself of many comforts to give them instruction. Thus, I send two bpys to the Grammar School, a Government institution, which coats me two guineas each, quarterly, in advance, besides the cost of books. My two othors cost mo, at a training school, 35s per quartor for both. Now I am called upon to pay a tax of £1 per annum for tho support of other people's children. I acknowledge, sir, tho necessity of providing for the education of tho ragged and those connected therewith, but I do protest against the method and system about to bo adopted. The number of officers connected or about to be connected therewith is a sufficient guarantee of the failure. There aro philanthropists upon the theory of education; but the question is, are they to be the ruling power of the destinies of this province ? 1° for one, am so thoroughly disgusted with the present Government and its constituent elements —which appear to be made up of lath and plaster—that I think the sooner they aro turned out of office the better .An opproI tunity now occurs, and I beseech every father of a family having respect for the_ education of his own children, to join me in resitting thiß most opprobrious tax to the utmost. Let one and all resist it, and let the bailiff be put ; into your house, —but I advise you to kick him out as I shall do, and so do you all—but > resist the tax. One word more : I ' will attend any meeting convened by a b householder, and express my views. The t system adopted in Otago was a poll-tax, t and, if I recollect right, all I had to pay was a two annual payments of 4s 7d. The amount l realised bythis tax was supplemented by double

the amount from a liberal Provincial Government, who built those splendid district schools in five wards of that city, which are not only an ornament but, under the Scotch system of education, the finest almost in the colonies ;—the children of that province will grow up to be men of intellect and learning. The system that should be adopted towards the lowest grades of society ought to be compulsory, and paid for by a special grant,—not £1 per house, but taken out of the revenue to which we all contribute.—l am, &c., J. M.