POLITICAL MATTERS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XL, Issue 9087, 20 May 1891, Page 2

POLITICAL MATTERS.

CURRENT GOSSIP IN WELLINGTON, | PENNY POST IN THE COLONY. The Government has decided to establish penny postage within the colony for letters under half-ounce in weight. It is estimated the' fire,t year's loss to revenue will be £40,000, but it is expected to increase the correspondence, and recoup the loss in three years. "■ INCREASE OP EXPENDITURE. The expenditure this year will be increased by several items, aggregating over £10,000, these include Australian squadron, £20,000 ; Censuß, £15,000 ; Property Assessment, about £16,000 ; increaaed interest, £52,000. ■ RAILWAY EXTENSION. It is understood the Government will grant the Railway Commissioners the £40,000 applied for, on their providing a list of the particulars of the proposed expenditure. ~ „ VIENNA POSTAL CONFERENCE. The Government will be indirectly represented at the Vienna Postal Conference, Sir Dillon Bell being prevented attending by illness of his family. - THE PROPOSED TAXATION. The public interest in the financial proposals of Ijhe - Government is deepening. The announcement of the ministerial intention to impose a tax of 6d in the £, with exemption of incomes under £300, as made in the morning papers, has mado quite v ferment in the city.' One idea to make the tax bearable is the division of incomes into three groups, those derived from investment, those .from trade^ and those from personal exertion, with a different tax or a different exemption in each case ; the first being treated the most severely as being permanent, the second a little lighter as being dependent on the possession of means, and the third the lightest of all, as personal exertion makes an income which dies with the holder. The -Government very fuby recognises that every man who pays a Land tax shall be exempt from paying tax on all that part of his income which is derived from, the land. Beyond that the Government measures are, not yet ready,- and the calculations are not yet made. Very little, in .. fact, Has been definitely decided. ' upon, ' except that there will, be a Land tax, and probably an Income tax. The case for tho Income tax is this : — At Home the Income tax does not touch the workiDg class, who, moreover, are very highly touched by the Customs duties. Here, the latter have to pay enormous .Customs duties.- It is, therefore, fair that other classes, who also pay the Customs duties, bat in very much smaller proportion,-, should be subject to the , Income tax .' There are, in addition, three evils .which the Land tax and the Income tux-nic regarded by Ministerial supporters . as likely to remedy— (l) The small agriculturists, who ought not to pay any, ■ thing on their improvements, have got to pay heavily. (2) The" Joint Stock Cora* pa meg who have invested in the Colony, who bavo woted plant, wbo distribute

wages in largj sums annually, have to pay on all the moneys laid out instead of on the profits of their business. (3) Professional men, and men who ha ye fixed salaries who ought to pay more than their . share of the. Customs, now pay nothing more than what they pay through the Customs. NATIVE LAND COMMISSIONERS. The Commissioners' report is practically complete. It purports to give the history ■ of the legislation of the colony upon native affairs from tho commencement to the present time. The Commissioners point out the nature and character of the various difficulties that have arisen in dealing with native lands. These difficulties are classified and scheduled. The effective part of the report is a recommendation that a Royal Commission shall issue to remedy errors in the past and for the f utvre to simplify the methods of ascertaining title. It recommends the stoppage of all dealings with native lands, except in cases where the nat ; ves bold in severalty. It will recommeid also that a Board of Native Lands shall be constituted upon the lines of the Lands Boards, for the purpose of determining all questio is of detail. The general effect of the new legislation proposed is stated to be to throw open the whole of the native lands of the colony, after the Native Committees shall have established their reserves. The Commission has examined a great number of witnesses in all the native districts of the Koith Island, and they have found remark- * able unanimity among the natives in favor of the scheme recommended.