Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6811, 25 October 1893, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING

GISBORNE WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2"i, 18S>3,

TAXATION IN THE COLONIES. The Christchurch Press of a recent date contained an instructive article on the taxation of the various colonies. The writer starts with the statement; that it is usually argued by those who desire to keep up the present rate of tuxa" bion in New Zealand that we can wel afford to pny it. He rightly says that those who maintain such viaws have a very imperfect acquaintance with the real position of things, and they must at least have very little sympathy with true Liberalism. Now, one scarcely every meets a man, whether he be Liberal or Conservative, who holds that heavy taxation is in itself a good thing. If there are many such people in the country we certainly have not come across them. "It is a fundamental principle of the true Liberal creed," says our contemporary, " that nothing should be taken from the citizens in the shape of taxation except what is absolutely necessary for the efficient government of the country." This principle is professed, though it may nut be practised, by all political parties. However, seeing the severe imposts to | which the people aro subjected, it must be somewhat disappointing to their admirers that the present Government, which professes such solicitude for the masses, does not even hold out a hope of lessening tho burdens of the public. The last turn of the screw was put on by Sir Harry Atkinson, but extra money had to be obtained to save the colony from financial disaster. The immediate purpose could have been achieved by raising a loan of two or three millions, but then the money could only have boon obtained at a great sacrifice, and, after all, it would havtTbeen only postponing the evil day. Heavy taxation in New Zealand is mainly the rosult of heavy debt. For sixteen or seventeen years, we borrowed at a much more rapid rate than any other colony, and are now paying the penalty. Out of, in round numbers, a total revenuo from all sources of four millions sterling, n million and three-quarters is absorbed in payment of the in! crust on the .National debt. The interest charge must continue to go on, and the colony will bo fortunate if it remains a fixed quantity. Tho way matters have been trending; of late gives causo for uneasiness on tho subject. However, it is not our purpose to criticise the finance of the present Government, further than to remark that notwithstanding an expanding revenue under almost every head, they have exhibited no sign of a desire to lighten taxation, though in an expanding revenue lies the only hope of easing the burden. New Zealand is increasing in population and in production, and if the public expenditure is kept within present limits, the taxation in the future must be less oppressive. Honest and economical administration is the great want of tho country. If they secure that, the people should be content to await tho operation of industrial and natural causes to lighten the burden. We have frequently drawn attention to the fact that through the Customs House, tho New Zealand Government exacts taxation equal to one-fourth of the total value of the imports This is dilated on in an article in the Christchurch Press, which publishes the following comparative return, the figures being for 1892 for all the colonies, except Queensland w hose returns aie for the previous year :— Imty Rate Imports Collected per £. £. cent. N S Wales . . 20,018,015 2,264,330 1282 Victoria 17 173,475 2.269.208 13 21 Itustmlia 7293,178 049,001 889 o\»cenßlftm\ 5 074,384 1,202,840 23-70 Kewztknd... 0,741,504 1,654,064 24-53 Our contemporary remarks that it must be understood that in the case of Victoria and New South Wales a cons clerable amount of the imports are re-exported, and not consumed in either colony, whereas in New Zealand the re-exports are comparatively trifling ; but it is added that after making a liberal allowance for this, ••JJew Zealand holds tho bad pre-eminence

of beiiii? the colony which extracts from her people a very high rate of duties on the articles consumed by them " Tho Press does not fully stato the case, which is not nearly so bad against our Government as it looks. It will be noticed that Queensland runs Now Zealand close- m the proportion of Customs duties leviinl to value of imports Tho following return shuwim; the amount of taxation per head >>f tho population in 1891 does not altoi»<jtln. i r square with the deduction of our contemporary : — £ s d Queensland 3 14 6 Now South Wales 2 11 0 Victoria .. -16 9 South Australia 2 12 5 Western Australia 5 2 G Tasmanii ... ■• ... 3 7 5 TNew Zealand 3 0 1 bho explanation of the apparent conflict t otween tho two returns is afforded by •ferenc* to tho following table of imports, giving tho amount per head of population : — £ s d Queensland.. ... "...10 4 4 Now South Walas 17 6 8 Victoria 14 15 2 South Australia 22 G 6 Western Australia 24 17 0 Tasmania 9 15 10 New Zealand 10 16 3 Speaking on tho subject of a uniform tariff for tho whole of these colonies, the late Sir Harry Atkinson sud that there would be a difficulty about New Zealand joining in owing to the higher duties leviod here, for the Government could not afford the loss of rerenue which would result from reducing tho tariff to the Australian level. One inference to be drawn from the comparative smalliess of our imports is that our high Customs duties reduce the volume of the inward forcigii trade.

Mr D. M. Orr holds a sale of fruit, produce, and poultry to-morrow at 11 a.m. The Oamaru Harbour Board want to sell their dredge Progress. Mr John Bennott, a candidate for Waiapu constituency, addresses the electors in Macfarlaue s hall this evening. The Hospital Trustees meet this evening. The meeting will be held in the Secretary's office, Lowe street, and not as usual at the Hospital. Tho next championship meeting of the New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association •will be held at Pictoa at Easter. A Melbourne baukrupb (a traveller) has paid his creditors a composition of one penny in the pound. Not many debtors are half so honest. A lady in Christchurch plants a tree every time she fulls out with her husband. What splendid local shade there will be for posterity !— Trnth. Mr Buick's (M.H.R.) supporters reported to be enthusiastic. They are probably captivated by the young man's recent splendid silence, and that, for a New Zealand M.H.R., is at least a negative virtue. A diver in Torres Straits last year, fishing for pearls, came across the wreck of a Spanish East Indi unan, which was found to contain £20,000 worth of silver dollars. An English jury had recently to be provided with twelve copies of " David Copperfield " to estimate the damage caused to a defendant, who had been compared to Uriah Heep. A cottage at Timaru was burned the other morning. The only occupant was a woman, who tried to get out by the window. The sash fell on her ankle and held her till her screams brought help. The London corrspondent of the Dunedin Star, writing on 9th September, says :— A few weeks ago, in the neighborhood of the Hr n, the Wellington had a dispute as to right of way with an iceberg. The ship as usual came off second best, and is now undergoing extensive repairs at Rio. The Poverty Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Society give notice by advertisement that all prizes and prize moneys will be paid on Monday next All claims against the Society are to be sent in not later than Saturday next. The box plan for the opening performance of the Pollard Opera Company on Friday evening is filling fast, and an early application will be necessary for front seats for the performance of the " Gondoliers." The plan is at Mr E. Parnell's music warehouse. The Palmer-Beaumont Concert Company, who appear at the Theatre Royal for one night only on Saturday evening next, have a change of advertisement iv this evening's issue. Already a large number of seats have been reserved, and a full house is assured. Here is what 60 unemployed write to the mayor of Greymouth :— " We, the under-sign-d, unemployed of Greymouth, do hereby request 3'our co-operation in obtaining work for us in this district, as we reaHy cannot hold out any longer." At the Napier Police Court a man named George Smith, alias D'Aviro, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment with hard labor, for pocket-picking on the Napier Park racecourse. He eased a woman of £5, and when arrested tho money was found in his I pocket. The author of "Book-keeping Condensed and Simplified," a useful little work for tradesmen, published in Auckland, sends us . a copy of another useful publication " Bookkeeping Simplified for Farmers and Others," which should command a ready sale. We have received from the Government a neat little handbook giving particulars of the Cheviot estate, which has been cut up into handy sections and is to be put in the market iv a day or two. Full particulars ure given as to the character of the land and the book is freely interspersed with photo-lithographs of views of the estate. For supplying drink to an intoxicated person, George Loram, junr., of Upper Knaotunu, was fined £5, and costs £15, with an endorsement on his license. The man Arnold, who was supplied with the licjuor, subsequently (whilst drunk) fell into a lire in a whare, and was badly injured. The Lyttelton Times says : — " It is re" ported in the neighbourhood that the Government have determined to buy the 3000 acres of land, about, six miles from Albury, olFored by Mr J. O. Rutherford, for settlement. The block includes a deposit of brown coal, said to be 22ft in thickness, whioh is now being worked on a small scale for the supply of the local market." Tho Otago Daily Times says that Mr James Kennedy, who died on Friday last, is bolieved to have been the oldest soldier in New Zealand. He enlisted iv the Ist Royals on the 12th of June, 1820 ; saw active service under King George IV., William IV., and Queen Victoria ; took part in seven general engagements, and was discharged in IS4B. He leaves a widow and five sons and two daughters to mourn their loss. The half holiday in Dunedin has fallen through. Nearly all the retail shops were open last Saturday afternoon and evening, and despite frequent showers of rain the i streets were crowded, people having apparently at once returned to the old custom, which was interrupted for some months by the attempt to observe the half-holiday. We learn that the Wellington Bishopric is going begging in England. For nearly two years tho Melanesian Bishopric has been in a similar position. We hope our colonial churchmen will some day learn common sense, and appoint colonial clergymen to the vacancies as they occur, instead of hawking the appointment about England. — H.B. Herald. A wedding always attracts a crowd, when folk can get an inkling that one is to take place, but a larger assemblage than usual thronged St. Andrew's Church and its precincts this afternoon to witness thts nuptials of Mr John Robert Johnson and Mi6s Grace Adair. The church was handsomely decorated asacomplimenttothecontractingparties.who have been earnest church 'workers, the bride having officiated as organist for several years, | The ceremony was conducted by the Rev. i Mr Rvburn, who gave as a lesson Psalm xxxvn. Wagner's bridal march from " Lohengrin," and Mendelssohn's wedding march was played in good style by Mr East, and the hymns " O Father all Creating," and " Lead us, Heavenly Father, lead us," were heartily sung by the choir,

The book debts of a Napier bankrupt were set down at £4,525, but are expected to realise £915— a liberal reduction, certainly. A discarded lover was charged in London with forcibly removing four rings from the finger of a young lady to whom he was formerly engaged. The Magistrate discharged him, as tho rings, being pre«ent.s, should have been returned to hiui after tho cngiiL'iMiicnt was broken off", though he had no right to remove them by force. According to a recent Parliamentary Blue lW>k there are more than a million widows in England and Wales. It gives the exact number of widows as 1,124,310, of whom no fewer than 1(59 are between fifteen and sixteen years of age, while 3810 are over twenty and under twenty-five. The H.B. Herald says :— We hear, on unquestionable authority, that the reconstruction scheme of the Loan and Mercantile Agency Company will be ready for the approval of the Court in a few days. A cable message says that all the main details have been satisfactorily arranged, only some minor points, in no sense vital, having now to be settled. No doubt matters would have been brought to a head earlier had it not been for the long vacation, which ends to-day, the Michaelmas law term commencing to-morrow. Commenting on the frozen meat trade, and tho fact that the depression is producing its proper effect in awakening the energies of Victoria to means of increasing its production for export, the Argus says : - "The New Zealand pioneers of the trado had a fur greater risk to takothan faces the Australian pastoralist now. But if he shows himself too poor-spirited to turn bis necessity into his opportunity it is morn than doubtful whether the trade will develop more speedily in the future than it has done in the past. New Zealand has gone ahead of us in this direction, not through the superiority of natural advantages, but by displaying greater energy and self-reliance. The boy who performed the sensational dive in connection with Fillis's Circus recently fractured his thigh in Sydney, having alighted ou his feet instead of his back. William Beardon, his father, has been committed to trial for this. The boy in his evidence stated that he took the di%*e voluntarily, and was not afraid to do so. The accident was due to his own carelessness. He thought lie was in the net when he was only half way down, and he turned over and fell on his feet. His father was not cruel to him, though he sometimes smacked him i when he misbehaved himself. The steam passing through the engines in the United States approximates 000,000,000 tons per annum (according to an American authority). Docs this enormous quantity effect the amount of rainfall ? asks our contemporary. It probably does, but the processes of nature are on so grand a scale that even this inconceivable amount may sink into insignificance. The annual rainfall east of the Kocky Mountains varies from 20in in a verj' few places to over GOin in others, with an average of not less than 36in. This amounts in that territory to some 9,000,000,000,000 tons, so that if all the steam made in the whole country were confined to this side of the Rocky Mountains it could add not over l-l.">Oth of 1 per cont to the total rainfall, or 1 -400 th of an inch— not enough to furnish one evening's dew.