THE Thames Advertiser THURSDAY, MAY 8TH. 1890.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXIII, Issue 6604, 8 May 1890, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser THURSDAY, MAY BTH. 1890.

Tii3 abolition o£v tLe;;gb]dldutjr i&jbo-. coming one of the burning questions on the Thames gold-field A large numt'ar, chief!/ working miners. aiV supporting I the abolition moyement, and hare affixed ilieir signatures; to the petition initiated by Mr Kersey Cooper, to be presented to Parliament next sossion, praying, for its extinction.: Looling at the imposition of the duty as a form of taxation, it is inevitable that it should incur: the ooHum. ot a very considerable section of the community,/laxalion in any shape,is |J|v|y| objectionable, and.; it'.does, .riot matter ho'wpalpably necessary a 'tax' is,

its irmction is looked upon with disfavor 1 , and cavses irritation'.' In fact, ihe more.necesswy the tax, the" greater the seeming discontent. Wesayjeeming, because the common-sense of the peopl* tells them that the business of the conn^7, :: 'its'public'seryices,'the : maintenance of law and ; order, facilities, for communication,'' and .'a Jtliousjand' o'thw requirements, cannot be. earned, on and provided for : witHoajti bieaW;' and that the'.revenue ( can.,only /be, obtained through' r,.W.eshaye>riot yet roaohed that stage of our history, though doctrinaires 'say • we'.'are advancing 'to-, •wards it, when' the exigencies 'of the State canVe supported without taxation.' The principle must survive, yet longer until there is a revolution'in ; tHo preaching and. practice of. political :• w'.'.»: PF9^* e ™»'-\^%uit. : r pf to discover* what, is to take 1 the place of taxation." It frequently happens in popular grievances that dissatisfaction is expressed' against the' principle, ■per) se f ivjiereas'. it, shoiild: be diercted against;the'abuse o : f it.' Is! it not so W.l'^-K o !*jWffjs 'is ..not !,clears that, the., duty »js : either,-wrong- in | principle, burdensome, or detrimental to |.the;,mterests ; of; ; thei,fieldi. But it is in I the misapplication of the revenue; and in the incidence, ;of the taxitself, that just Icailse. ; for 'complaiiit can -be found; it ia ' tlie- abuse; of, /a n'd not,- : the.tax' that

is' No; one will; deny, that a certain amount of revenue :s absolutely esseatial for the assistance of. the-gold mining industry and its further developwho are? engaged in industry',' whose, existence itmay.be said in a measure dependiupto'it, ''should-be' willing to contribute towards' it's public necessities. The easiest form in whioh

,-jey can do so appears to .be, by. means of ■ the-'gold is payable only, when there? is; gold ('procured ifrom-.the earth.. All, other forms >i; of produc ? tion pay;• heavily,,.far;.more so than gold to the direct-'demands' of the State. When the Government had millinns^-of, ; [borrowed , money,at-.-, its command and could- bribe, everyVdiatrict in thu colony hy a lavish disposal «f subsidies, and when it became" the corrupt practice with the people' l to'appeal to tho Government to help them in every enterprise, great or sinall.-then we could ! understand that the gold duty should be I abolished, qlfithe worse came to the worse : and:%;.were left destitute for want of roads and tracks, it would simple matter to dip.our hands into the Governmentpieani holp ourselves to what we.might need. But, Heaven, be praised,for;it,. those days are gone. .It is useless..'to appeal to Hercules any longer. 'Every district must now rely upon- itself. The tendency is, more and mor<?, to throw localities upon their own resources'.: ■;'lt :is quite proper that it should beso. If the gold d*ty is abolished, it will be a deliberate act of suicide; it away a certain revenue that the field'cannot do without'. The supporters of. abolition, as it has been suggested,; propose to rate ■' individual mmes to keep.their own roads in repair and all new tracks are to be paid for out: of A little 'scrutiny of the proposal will soon satisfy one that ; 'such a''course would be found not only a source-of.eonfusion.:but would likewise' be far more burdensome, in a direct manner, than the gold diity.' What appears'to be: needed is to insist upon the revenue from the duty being expended fairly and specifically for the purpose for which it isintanded. It a qiiestian whether .it is. just to.place the burden of the duty on tributers, whose success is, more often than not, of a precarious, character, who already pay a heavy.per centage to the miueowners' and who, though taxpayers, have no ltcal political status, ••■;■•: