THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 1876.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2064, 16 August 1875, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 1876.

It does not require the presence of an entire carcase to ensure the gathering together of vj||ures. "Where soever the air is tainted with the scent of anything, however small, which might partake of the nature of prey, thither will swoop all birds of the air whose thoughts are intent on either for themselves or othen, regardless of all affairs with which they may at the time be engaged. Nor are the birds of the air eager for prey unique in this desire to be first in the field where anything is to be gained, as recent event* at Wellington plainly show; for no sooner has Government given any indication* however slight, of having some small surplus at its command than the House resounds with the cries of those who clamour for their share of the booty in' the shape of remission of some tax, which seems to them to press too heavily either on the interests of themselves or constituents, careless apparently whether justice be done as long as their own particular desires are gratified. Thus Mr Murray takes advantage of the admission of the Government that they did not wish to increase the revenue from taxation, to point out that an increase 'accrued to them from the change made from duties

being levied on articles ad valorem instead of by measurement, and as this increase was allowed by them not to bo necessary, they would be able to give up taxing some article on which duty had hitherto been paid, and suggests, as the most proper course, that unrefined sugar should now escape paying toll ;* though, if what Mr George McLean says be true, and no unrefined sugar finds its way to this colony, it is difficult to see in what way any section of the community will be benefited. Mr Macandrew and Sir George Grey agreed with the necessity of unrefined sugar being declared free, while Mr O'Connor thought that flour should escape duty payment instead, and he certainly seems to have stronger arguments in his favor. Mr McGillivray wished to have tea added to the list „of free articles, and Mr Bunny proposed rather a novel method of employing any surplus there might be by suggesting additional taxation in the shape of a property tax. Other members thought that the motion was simply made to distract the mind of the G overnmer.t from the all important question of abolition, and probably they might have been much farther from the truth. But, however that may be, the motion was withdrawn, and unrefined sugar still continues excisable ; and as fair as the comumnjty at large are concerned, may just as well 1 remain so. There is no doubt, however,-that-trhen things are in a more settled state, and the eagerness which always characterises the first rush of the rapacidra has somewhat abated, there will be some change rendered necessary in the system of taxation as it at present stands, and we would say our say in a few: words thereon. Without at present entering into the much vexed and oftargued question of which is preferable, taxation .direct or indirect; or even making much of the point here, that class taxation, like class legislation, is obviously unfair, as being wrong in principle and unjust in practice, we would strongly speak against any tax which bears directly upon the industry of the country, and actually orders a duty to be paid before it will allow a man to work for the means wherewith to pay it. Such a tax—and it is hard to conceive one morenjajust—is that now levied upon the mining community by the compulsory issue of what are termed miners' rights. Anything more unjust it would be difficult to imagine than that a law should be made to tax a man because he works for his bread. That those who take tip claims should pay for the right of doing so might be intelligible; that if their claims were retained those who retained them should pay for so doing, would be defensible; that if these claims turned out successfully the lucky owners of them should contribute a small royalty in proportion would be only reasonable; but that a man before ho had a right to work should be forced to pay for his desire to work is preposterous. And yet this is the case at the Thames and elsewhere in British Colonies where goldmining has been the principalcolonisingindustry;whereaminer who works in a mine in which he has not the slightest interest, but is paid so much a week like any other ordinary labourer is forced to pay a pound a year before he is allowed to work at all. It may be said that the miner's right is a license, and it is only putting the miner on the same footing with auctioneers, certificated persons and others who pay in the same manner; but it must be remembered that the amount which those classes of people pay is to enable them to practice their several vocationj with some sort of guarantee from Government of tlieir ability to do so, and may be, and is, used to bear testimony in their favor, and to the exclusion of, others. But with the miner's right it is different; the : right acquired by the miner is no guarantee that he can perform the work he seeks; it is simply — and nothing else can be mada of it—a most unjust tax laid on a hard-working body of men without rhyme or reason, for the sake of producing as many thousands of pounds annually to the Colonial Exchequer as there are miners in the country and for perpetuating a principle established when goldmining was a highly remunerative calling. It is all. very well about talking of giving the psople cheap light wines, untaxed flour, and sugar untaxed a3 well as unrefined; and it would be no doubt very pleasant, especially on the eve of an election, for a candidate to say to the bakers, or grocers, or wine-merchants among his constituents who happen to be a little undecided as to whom they will vote for, "Look here, I'm your man. I it was who took the tax off sugar (or flour or wine as the case may be) for you—vote for me." The usa of the personal pronoun ego is doubtless pleasing to others of the Assembly, besides the member for Auckland West, but all we ask Mr Murray and others intent on cheapening the sweet things of this life is, to bo just before they are generous, and in common justice to take off a tax whick never ought to have been imposed at all. We have said nothing of the export duty on gold, although much might be made of that, and with equal reaion. . '"■>-.