INCOME AND PROPERTY TAX.

Colonist, Volume XVI, Issue 1663, 26 August 1873, Page 4

INCOME AND PROPERTY TAX.

To the 'Editor of the Colonist

Sir,—The following extracted from the Wellington Post of August 18th, is sain accordance with the view of myself and hundreds of those occupying the fame position in life, that I trust you will give publicity to it in your valuable and widely circulated journal:—• Extract. " This system of indirect taxation works most unfairly. A working man, a small country settler, or a mechanic, whose income is say £175 a year, and who spends £150 of it upon himself and family, pays a very heavy amount of taxation. Almost everything they use is taxed; food, beverages, clothing, boots and shoes, household utensils, cutlery, ironmongery, «yen the very nails used in putting their house together—each and all pay a Customs duty. Tlie class,

mSm wiiliiiM! iiiftft Htaiiwi&i} yljtoh a enar'e of tasai)ida tSuofcrnduSW in 5&&66& ot tHat iton* tribute by the wealthy, Fotf gxatnplej A stationowner, with_ a blear income of : £2000 a-yeaiywho keeps1 but few servants and a moderate establishment, does ndt prdbalily Spend on household expenses more than £500 a-yearj and consequently, in proportion to his income, does not pay a tithe of the taxation wrung from those of his poorer fellowcoloriists, who ara far less able to bear the burden. Though the opportunity afforded by the present Bession has been lost, yet the time will shortly come when this monstrous inequality in our system of taxation must be remedied, and property made to bear its fair shore in contributing to the cost of the State. This o;in only be accomplished by largoly reducing the Customs duties on necessaries, and at the same lime imposing direct taxation in the form of an income ami property tax. Were tin's ajsfcem adopted, the great bulk of the population would be materially beneutted, the necessary articles of use and consumption cheapened, while that wealthy class of the community which includes largo owners of station property, bank shareholders, money-lenders who make advances on real estate, and absentees holding propeny in the Colony from which a large income accrues—would, for the first time be compelled to contribute their fair share towards defraying the public expenditure." —Yours &c, A WonKiNa Man.