THE GOLD DUTY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3256, 13 July 1872, Page 3

THE GOLD DUTY.

(FROM A eOBItKSPONDENT.)

A public meeting was convened in the School, Blue Spur, on the sth imt., with the object of devising the best means to effect the abolition of the Gold Duty, and to consider the Leasing The meeting was well attended, and Mr Robert Grieve was voted to the chair.

ihe Chairman said that tho subjects which tho meeting had Wen called to consider had been occupying the attention of the miuera for years—the gold tax particularly. Ho thought it \vaa a great political mistake, and had the effect of limiting to'-W great'extent gold-mining. The pcople-of tlie United States knew too well the effects of a tax on internal industry ever to have imposed a tax on gold. Victoria ha dabandoned it. But in New Zealand class legislation still predo minated, and a tax on gold was btill imposed. He urged the minera and every 6ne on the Ooldfields to bestir themselves, and unite as one man to demand the remission of a tax which was draining so many thousands annually from their pockets. The miners, of $ew Zealand had done more for the settlement of the country than any other cause, and were maintaining ita prosperity, and contributing to the enrichment of other classes in n greater degree than to enrich themselves. It was a notorious fact that miners now on the Goldfields were industrious, temperate, and economical, and that generally they were poor in comparison with the more favoured and untaxed classes. Mining was not now remunerative, and when wo took into consideration the large capital required to be expended in most case?, the risk and uncertainly attending the results, it seemed to him a huge injustice to place such'a heavy incubus on the miners'shoulders. The Agricultural Leasing Regulations required to bo altered^ in order to prevent our auriferous ground being taken up aa agricultural land, and at some future time circumscribing the limits of" the workings; JHe also said that the granting of large mining leases over quartz lodes retarded prospecting, as it tended to shepherding. Mr W. D. Moeiusox said he looted on the gold dnty as a most iniquitous tax, and subversive of the beat interests of the Colony. But it was a matter that affected this district to the extent of thousands of pounds annually. From rough calculations taken from statistical returns, the fifty odd shareholders of the Blue Spur pay to the State over £1000 a year as a ,gold tax. If this largo, sum were a tax only on profits, it would be borne cheerfully. But it was a tax on the entire income, before deducting, the expenditure from it. In order to convey an idea of tlie extent of the,expenditure of some of the Companies on tlie Spur, he might state that the Company in which he had, an interest, had., .within the last few years, paid nearly £1000 to tho State on gold that had. gone to meet the ordinary expenditure of tho Company, without the shareholders getting any , bwr»efit,frotti it Thua it-would, apnearby no means unusual for mining companies to have a large capital invested m their concerns, yet without receiving any return therefrom, on account' of this tax ; while if the tax were removed, they would receive.,*, fair return for the investment , And if such, was the case on the Blue Spur—a .place famed for the richness of the claims—what was the effect of tho tax on tho miners of, Wetlicrstonefl and Tuapeka FjUt, where their average earnings do not exceed thirty shillings a. week, or less than tho wages of an ordinary farm labourer f If the Legislature did not remove this tax, it would still further .cause tlie depopulation of the Goldfields. The withdrawal of £21,000 a yeaie froitt the earnings of a handful of .miners, over and "above a number of other epocia.l taxes '. atuou ntiiig probably to forty or fifty thousand a year, independent of the gold tax, must in a great .measure render thq miner's industry unprofitable, and cause him to betake himself to employment with more profitable and certain returns. But if he settled down to agriculture, he was only aug^ meriting an evil which commenced on tlie' first exodus '"oft the millet's from Otago, t. «.,• the- disproportion botweon producers .and consumers* This caused a fall in the prices of stock and produce, whivh had had a downward tendency..ever since, until they had now arrived at ruinous prices to .the producer. It was the of the Legislature to remove obstructions AvjJiichj limited tho number of consumers, and in:.the, interest of the country:'to' sweep away nil tlie special taxation from gold* tori hingi* and make the gold .free. Free gold fields ,in,Ota^o would give a greater,impetus,,to acttjcinent, and to* the' general development and prosperity 'of the country than the great public works and immigration scheme of the General Government He, only asked fjio miners throughout Otigo 't<f knock," and^to k-gep on knocking, at the door of Parliament, until they were heard!' The Leasing Regu- < Litions required amenduien,t ? .in order to prevent the recurrence of similar crises to .that which had ; occurredin, Mr Clark's paddock. That gentleman ' asked the moderate sum of £1.000. for sixteen acres of leasehold, w'itli only a, year to run. .< < ,Mr John Comiack agreed with the fqr- - mer speaker iv his statements as to the contributions of the tax on gold by the -I«H^Spttr*Tninerßr~ -Ho-was- glad Mr Morrison EatTSiofc^dver stated the amounts. There.was, no ,goqd reason given for the> uiiposition.of ;a \bk on1 &6\<V production, . otherJ than '.the,' t i>e^l,;bf" r£&ei&je.; But ithat<reason 'couldMtoVappliecl aagroirnds 1 for the taxing of anyI.class. BTef w»a con- , *inced tha^the ti-uju-atatejof.the miningin- ! dutftry was notgeiienvllyknowi^ lfforthedia-asti-ouseffepts of the inipositipn of theenor^ mous, taxation that rested oh the miners.. It 4'was often/remarked that the miners *>f Otago jSriiqiecliiJd VeVy'littloffor fresh discoveries; but :he.wondelecL that so; much pwfcpectingT'.waH.idone, considering the-povertytbAthekneir to. exist generally Miio»g!the minces. If the Eegulair ibire: Would- reniit.tbe duty; i he.s«r»» Hojpe^ ifulthat every jshillingironla beteii^aejl, fin < that direction. He called ;on'«the manner as the miners of other divtrirarap. Jgj&tfejkuilfc p« complainedof the di«-

regard by the Government of the Blue Spur in the expenditure of the public revenue. He would onty remark, that of late years the miners had been glaring at the Houses of Legislature *ith intense earnestness and anxiety, in which he participated. He was anxious to see an association formed by the miners of the whole district

Mr T. F. Morris, iv a humorous speech., depicted the subject as ono of Shadow f. Suijstaiicc. Ho said that tho Shadow was tho miner, -who derived littlo l«;netit for his hibour—the Substance .always claiming tho lion's share—tho romilfc of his eamiugs Ho saul it vras very hard times throughout the district, and many of tho most industrious miners wore giving tip their prnfeAsinu. He hetirtily joined in any movement? which had for its I object tho amelioration of tho class to which he belonged., Ifc was ftgrccd, on the motion of Mr Gilbeut -Raistok, to form a Mining Association, and a number of gentlemen were appointed to net as a Committee.