ASSESSMENT COURTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5948, 4 March 1881, Page 3

ASSESSMENT COURTS.

CAVERSHAM. Thursday, 3rd March. (Before W. L. Simpson, Esq., R.M.) Struck Out.—William Lane, George Adams, Thomas Sc jrs ?? b? rt RoxDurgh, E. W. Cochran, J. Kilgoiir, and R. Hudson.

Change of Name on Roll Allowed.—Mayer Adolphe to James Bnggs, James Hurring to John Harborow, John bmith to Samuel M'Cracken, Mrs James MlndoetoMrs Elizabeth M'lndoe, Joseph Kirby to Mrs Renna Palmer, W. F. Wilkinson to Murray Thomson,*. G. Lane to George Thomas Clarke,"Charles Mercer to Robert Mercer, Donald M'Laren and Mr Collee to John Sidey. Reductions Allowed.—Mrs Charles Mercer, to £30 • John Gilroy, to £130; Francis Porter, to £130: Timothy Hayes.

Applications Refused.—Soy Lunn, George Cuuline.

MOKNINGTON. Thursday, 3rd March. (Before W. L. Simpson, Esq., R.M.) Struck Out—Hugh MacNeil and James Cunnlnirham. ~

Reductions Allowed.—Emma Evans, from £'5 to r,,k: 0 Drew, from £26 to £22; William M'Beath, from £90 to £80.-The Corporation consented to these reductions.

WEST HARBOUR. Thursday, 3rd March. • * (Before I. N. Watt, Esq., R.M.) Mr Stout appeared in support of the objections lodged by John Logan. - Mr Denniston, who appeared on behalf- of the Borough Council, objected to ilr Logan's valuation being taken into consideration, on the ground that his objections had not been sent in to the Court until after February 15th, the time prescribed by law. His Worship remarked that all the objections were in the same position as Mr Logan's, and decided that as tho valuation lists were not those contemplated by law he would, under section 28, reappoint the valuer to make new lists and fix dates for their inspection.

The Court was adjourned till the 17th inst.

MR LARNACH'S POLITICAL ECONOMY. TO THE KDITOU.

Sin,—On perusal of the report of tho half-yearly meeting of the Chamber of Commerce in your issue of the 12th inst., my attention was arrested by the following passage in the Chairman's (Mr W. J. M Lama h's) address-.—"Members will be aware of the efforts made for the repeal of the property tax and that a substitute would be found by a diminished expenditure, a reimposition of the tea and sugar duties, and also school fees. There can hardly be two opinions of the harm done to the progress of this Colony by the imposition of the property tax: such a species of class tariff is far more apt to discourage than encourage settlement. It is therefore to be hoped that when Parliament meets measures will be devised by which the Colony will be relieved of the noxious burden under which it staggers, but cannot . walk. Sufficient taxation for all wants of the Colony cm be found through the Customs tar ff, which is most willingly paid and most easily collected." Under the apprehension that it is quite impossible to suppose a man in Mr Larnach's position to be unaware that good authorities hold the incidence of such indirect taxation as Customs duties to be principally on the great body of poor consumers, and that it is possible for the rich niggard to almost escape this form of taxation, I think it would be advantageous to the general public to know if these utterances were made merely in his character of Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, or were the expression of bin deliberately formed opinions aa a leading citizen.—l am, &c, ' ' Cms. Queenstown, February, 1881.