TAXATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 4424, 18 January 1876, Page 1 (Supplement)

TAXATION.

To the Editor of the Heb-4_ld. Sir., —In few things is there so much want'of conscience as in matters of taxation. But' if one district bears less than its fair share of the burden, consideringits wealth, some, other district must suffer more than its share. All laws which favour one district to the disadvantage of others, are violations of the fundamental principles of policy and justice. This is an infamous system of taxation, atribute from the poorer to the richer districts. It is with truth the South calls ub their "milch cows." How long shall we stand to be milked ? A tax on necessaries, such as the Customs, demanding without reference to means as much from a poor country as from a rich, is unjust and intolerable. The bestowal for twenty years of the public laud revenue to the South (say £800,000 per annum), means the extra taxation of the North, to the amount of the land revenue. The principle of equality of taxation in its only just sense, equality, of sacrifice, requires that Auckland should receive at least half of her Customs revenue, and be recouped her long arrears of income (together.-"nith compensation and consequential damages) for local expenditure; this amount to be made good, from part of the Crown lands fund. Air. Fox proposed, as was only just, that the Customs should be spent provincially. He was opposed by Mr. Stafford. Some of our statesmen, when New Zealand's history comes to be written, will not shine very brilliantly. The Southerners hare not worked harder than we have, nor is there any difference of merit between us ; but they have enjoyed exceptional advantages, more natural, benefits, the unearned increment from the land fund produced unearned riches; and all these, act and re ; act upon eacli - other in their favour. They do not pay their proper proportion of the taxes, but we have , to supply the amount not paid, by them proportioned to the income they enjoy. People should not be. taxed in proportion: to what they have, but to what they can afford to spend. Equality o( pressure is the highest recommendation of a system of taxation, and inequality of pressure .its greatest defecta Customs duties are partial and unequal in operation; :this is . their, chief. objection. They do not effect different districts in proportion to their!ability to bear* them; they press with unequal severity. weak in'theSenate, we are right; .'and'public opinion, when just, is stronger than any law or unjust "compact;": and tlaws-made to-day may be overthrown to-morrow. Auckland is said to be needy, exurient. Some attribute effects to wrong causes, I will try to

shew reasons for Auckland's condition. Taxes on necessaries are a tax on ivoges, and cause a fall of profit." They Jeasen capital, diminish' 'the : 'means'of employment, and Necessarily the produce of the country,, which becorncs impoverished"and/eriiausted.' ■An exceptionally favbured district like the aouth can'grow "agricultural produce cheaper, and at a higher- rate of profit than we can/ because" we do ;not'enjoy ■ anything like the -same advantage. ''Excessive; crushing,-and ■exceptional taxation, raises the -price of our 'produce; , ' Thi3 causes largo importations from those favoured places besides from ■ the •South. Australians pay about per head ■where we r pay £6, in general taxes, C'onso ; quently they can easily undersell lis in our own market. The land there produces a rainimnin. We cannot compete favourably , , "onr , profits .being far less than theirs.' Another great hindrance to our progress i 3 the large quantity of land lying valueless here. This is not so down South. The land there 19 all occupied profitably and beneficially to all classes—town and country. ■ We want the repealof the laws that fetter the opening •up of Auckland's waste lands, and that •hinder the productive ■ power of the land. A good-Government would facilitate settlement and production :in every (way. ' True policy would be to j,ive every freedom and enconragement to the opening up of the country. What do the ■rative land-owners say of.Government conduct ? Are they satisfied with the hindrances they receive from the authorities? Mill thna expatiates, "Too great facilities cannot be given to cause lands to pass into -the hands of thoso who will produce some--thing, rather than to allow it to remain profitless. Some pernicious land:. laws impose penalties upon transactions it ought ■to be the policy of the real legislator to encourage in every way." Here there is every hindrance to the occupation of waste lands. The prosperity of the country is Jkept back. But we are forced to pay £300.000 per annum to the General Government, on the principle of ".making bricks without straw." It should be the object of all wise laws to cherish agriculture, and to remove every hindrance upon tho chief industry of the world. For. the. general prosperity of all classes there.cannot be too much facility, to. the occupation of waste lands, whereby the produce of the country, :as well as the general income is increased. Some Governments : raise obstacles, others give every facility, to the opening up and ■settling of country. Oiir loss, direct and indirect in this . matter, is incalculable. No "time shonld bo lost in mitigatiug this evil. -Here is our account Jor. twelve months, of immigrants 6700, as against emigrants 2300. The immigrants cost £23 per head. Sup--posa a different policy was allowed to be by ourselves in Auckland with -regard to the confiscated and waste lands, is dt not probable that we could have retained most of those 2300 people who fled the •country?—lam, &c, .'.:.'. . ■ Cromwell. P.S.—The word "not" was inserted by "mistake in my last letter in the sentence— -"Now the burden falls equally upon each district," &c. | i i