The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, MAY 20, 1881.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3738, 20 May 1881, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, MAY 20, 1881.

The Peopeety Tax h.is not yielded so much as was expected, and a leakage is suspected. Mr. Ballance, in his speech, referred to this matter, and says a land tax of a half-penny upon unimproved value, gave a return of about £100,000. Doubling that, we have a total of £209.000, as the fair expectation of a penny tax on land, without touching improvements or personal property. The amount, actually collected from Property Tax within the financial year was about £230,000 ; since then some £40.000 has come in ; and if we assume that the out-standing amounts (the Insurance Company payments were not due till May), will bring up the total to Major Atkinson's estimate, namely, £300,000, it appears unaccountably disproportionate to the yield from a tax on the bare value of land, and it has cost infinitely more to collect. The Colonial Treasurer's original estimate was based upon the returns made under the Land Tax. These returns gave the improved value of all the real property in the Colony as £99,500,000. The personal property was valued at £18,700,000, making the total taxable sum £118,200,000. From this the Treasurer deducted £5,000,000 on account of the £300 exemptions, and he then reckoned that he would be able to get £470,000 from the Property Tax. But, in Committee of Supply, the exemptian was raised from £300 to £500, and other mitigations were carried, which led Major Atkinson to reduce his estimate from £470,000 to £300,000 and impose the Beer Tax to make up the deficiency. There may be something in this, but we do not think the Property Tax was expected to yield more. Parliament, however, is close at hand, when the whole question will be well ventilated, and it is pretty certaiu that if the Government are caught blundering, there are plenty on the Opposition side of the House who will be ready to point out their errors.

The official enquiry in connection with the A.C. stores has been conclu le 1, but the result is not to be made public until the Commission hfcve forwar.ied their report to the authorities. The barque A lamant is having rapid dispatch in discharging her cargo, and Captain Boiling expects to be able to sail on Tuesday next for Ly ttelton . Mr. Hulke has just returned from Hawera, and reports to us that the district is progressing very rapidly. He says the Wai mate Plains are being dotted with houses, and in the Township of Manaia there arc ilCty-one elected Building operations have almost come to a standstill, owing to the timber supply not being equil to the demand. The railway station at Ngaire, Mr. Hulke says, was covered with goods waiting for conveyances to remove them. The firs;, hunt of the season came off at Hawera yesterday, when Mr. Bradley's hounds threw off at the Empire Hotel at 2 o'clock. There were about seventy horsemen present, Mr. Southby acting as whipper-in. The hounds struck off in the direction of the section adjoining where the new church is being built, and passed over Wilson and Mason's ground in the direction of Normanby. A good day's sport was enjoyed. The Auckland Herald of May 15th says :—: — " There has lately been a great increase in the attendance at the public school at Parnelh there being now in attendance about 400 pupils. We believe that in consequence of the increase in the attendance an assistantmaster will be appointed, and that in all probability Mr. J. C. Adams, 8.A., at present at New Plymouth, will be chosen."

The s.s. Wallabi, Captain Leys, anchored in the roadstead yesterday afternoon. She left Manukau on Tuesday for Westporc, bur., when off Cape Egmont, the wind freshened and Captain Leys finding that he was running short of coal deemed it prudent to make for the roadstead. After coaling, the Wallabi Biiiled in the evening at G o'clock for Weatport.

Mr. J. C. Richmond, we learn by our telegrams, is a candidate for the Nelson seat left vacant by the resignation of Mr. Adams. Mr. Richmond is a brother of Judge Richmond, and possesses considerable culture and skill as an artist. He was Colonial Secretary in the Weld Ministry of 1861-G5, and Commissioner of Customs in the Stafford Ministry of 1865-07. Mr. Richmond was a strenuous opponent of Sir J. Yogel, and he and Mr. Travers contested Wellington against Messrs. Pearce and Hunter, and also Mr. D. M. Luckie for Nelson. The popular voice was in favour of the Yogel policy, and Mr. Richmond was left, in a minority in both places. He shortly afterwards left for England, where he waß resident till within a few months since. It is impossible to say what may now be his political views, but he must see how wrong he was in his surmises as to the result of the Yogel policy. We should consider his views are greatly changed.