Tuapeka Times. AND GOLDFIELD REPORTER AND ADVERTISER. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1885.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1180, 16 September 1885, Page 2

Tuapeka Times. AND GOLDFIELD REPORTER AND ADVERTISER. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1885.

"measures, kot men," The Property Assessment Bill, which last week passed the House of Representatives, is a measure which consolidates the existing law relating to the assessment of the property-tax, and amends the law in some particulars more or less important. The Bill as drafted and introduced provided for the exemption of " all agricultural improvements the property of one person or company, to a value not exceeding £3,000;" and of "all engines and machinery of every kind in actual use in any factories or workshops, the property of one person or company, to a value not exceeding £3,000." These provisions were struck out in Committee, it being considered that the ■ finances of the Colony did not warrant exemptions of so comprehensive a character. The principle, moreover, was objected to, in that the exemption of agricultural improvements practically converted the property-tax into a bastard land-tax. It is not, however, our present purpose to discuss the question, but to point out for general information what the Bill, as approved by the House, does purport to effect in the way of alteration or amendment in the existing law. Districts for the purposes of the Act are abolished, and the various Boroughs, Counties, and other local districts being created districts under the Act in order, so far as possible, to dispense with the cost to the local bodies of making separate assessments. The definition of " property " is enlarged, so as to manifest clearly that goodwill is to be included in property liable to taxation. The bevm " property " Is declared to include all real and personal property, and extent! to and include any interest of any kind whatsoever, and all property which may be estimated or valued as an asset of any company. A company trading on its own account, with money advanced or deposited at interest on the security of its guarantee or debentures, is nob entitled to claim the £500 exemption in respect of each separate depositor. Life assurance companies are to be liable to taxation j as the Commissioner may choose to j elect, either on the total amount of its \ funds in the Colony or upon the capitalised value of all existing policies. Reversionary estates are to be subject to the tar. The I trustee of any property, owned in ! reversion, remainder, or expectancy of any kind, the owner thereof not having any present beneficial interest therein, is to be chargeable with the tax payable in respect thereof; and if any person has a life interest or other interest in such property, he is to be assessed in respect of such interest. Every person arriving in the Colony during the triennial period intervening between the appointed times for furnishing statements of property, and who may acquire property during such period fehroagh il any gift, bequesb, legacy, or succession, or in consequence of marriage, is required without notice to furnish statements of property as owner, trustee, or agent on or before the Ist day, of April next ensuing- aiid in neglect or failure to do so will be subject to the penalties imposed by the Act in respect of persons failing or neglecting to furnish statements of property. The statements required to h&

made, on behalf of companies are to be to tfie following effect :— (1) The real propterty /'^elotiging' to the company "is to' be set dbvra to fche market value thei^of at the time the statement is 'raa<fo. v ., (2)j t :The personal property and debts of ttib company are to be re-, turned at the sfttflWvalue and amount for the purposes of assessment as are expressed in the balance-sUeet issued to the shareholders, or prepared for issue prior to the~ last date which- such statement, relates, and a copy of such balance-sheet is 1 to be attached to the I statement. v The4£eetings of the. Board of Reviewers eiproperty assessments are to be deemed to be public, except when considering matters relating to personal property or objections thereto ; in any of which eases the Board on its own motion, or at the request of any objector, may at any time or from time to time exclude from any such meeting or require to withdraw therefrom all and any persons— whatsoever. Every Board of Reviewers are to have full power of hearing aud determining all objections to the—assessments of any district which is assigned to them ; and may award costs to be paid by the objector in any case where they shall deem the objection to be of a frivolous or vexatious nature. "When any persqu snail <lw leaving any property which lias nob been assessed or returned for assessment, the Commissioner may add such, property to the assessment roll. The tax to be recoverable against the legal representatives of any such person or his estate is to be assessed and levied for the whole or part (as the case may be) of the period during which such property has not been assessed or returned for assessment, and "shall be assessed and levied at the rate of duty payable in respect of the year when the assessment is made, and the amount to be recorded shall be treble the amount of the tax so assessed and levied." The provision in the draft Bill, which would have allowed the parties to a mortgage to agree as to the payment of the tax on the land mortgaged, was struck out in Committee. There was a general fight over the £500 exemption, it having been proposed to reduce the amount to £200 ; but eventually the £500 was retained. Objections were also very reasonably raised against the exemption of " all property of Maoris," for which really there is no justification. The Premier supported the i maintenance of the exemption, on the grounds that to tax Maori property would be to discourage settlement, because in such case the Maoris would i not individualise their titles, but this i would not apply to personal property ; whilst it is most unjust that the many ! wealthy Maoris should escape, as they do at present, direct taxation in j any form.

The paper recently read by Rear- Admiral Scott in the Garrison Hall, Dunedin, coming as it does from the hand of an expert, and one who has the most complete grasp of his subject, is pregnant with useful information on the great i question of Colonial coast defence. The paper begins with a criticism on the extravagant proposals of the Government in ! the matter of defence, the outcome of the ( recent war scare ; but the proposals cannot I be entirely charged against the Government, whose chief aim was the safety of the Colony from foreign attack. Reari Admiral Scott expressed his regret at the lamentable increase which is daily taking place in the standing armies and navies of Europe, and stated that the same thing was aure to occur in the Colonies. Already we have begun by establishing that scourge of the Old World, a standing army. "As fortifications might in New Zealand," says Rear- Admiral Scott, "be left to take care of themselves without , much detriment, the matter is apparently < to be made sure by the importation of a | mass of costly ordnance, Whitehead and ! Brennan torpedoes, electric engines and their numerous appliances, together with | a large supply ot gun cotton and mines.' These engines of destruction, if not wholly I or in part countermanded, will need a small army and navy to polish up and keep in order, and even then would rapidly deteriorate and become obaelete." It is pointed out that these torpedoes require constant care and attention, that a standing army — or, at any rate, the nucleus of one — would be indispensable. Then in a very short time we should find ourselves in possession of a large quantity of useless and obaeleta war material • for the changes are bo rapid that most of the European Powers find themselves weighed down by the heavy expenditure occasioned by constant changes in warfare. These arguments should be sufficient to condemn any large expenditure on war material, which in the course of a year or two might as well be taken up and cast into the sea. Rear-Admiral Scott goes minutely into the danger ot attack by Russian gun-boats in the event of England being at war with that Power, and shows that the difficulties which would beset the Russian vessels would render such attack almost impossible. Besides having to run the gauntlet of the British fleet stationed in the Pacific, the Russian cruiser would find herself at the end of her voyage with empty bunkers and no possibility of replenishing them. Even should , the cruiser escape the yigilanne of the British and make a descent upon our West Coast coal ports — the other ports would be blocked with torpedoes and mines — a small party of volunteers might easily enough prevent a landing. Then by arming the Union Company's steamers with Hotchkiss guns, good service might be done in coast defence. He advises that these steamers so armed, and sailing in twos, with their high rate of speed, would be tolerably safe. The Hotchkiss rapid-firing gun is a truly terrible weapon, and if the American experiment with the dynamite shell is carried to a successful issue, it is difficult to, conceive that even a heavy iron-clad could stand before a bombardment from these lalost engines of destruction. Rear- Admiral Scott would rather depend upon vessels so armed and on torpedoes in our harbors for coast defence than the heavy gun batteries which the Government mean to erect at great cost. Referring to the blocking of the German portß with torpedoes during the Franco- Prussian war he says : — "The French Admiral would not even approach near the German shores for fear of torpedoes, although he was not far from his own docks and arsenals, where any

amount of damage done to his vessels could have been quickly repaired. The risk of destruction by an unseen enemy in cue stiape of a torpedo has been hitherto deemed too great to be encountered, and thus the French fleet remained paralysed, exercising no appreciable influence upon the result of the Franco- German war." With our ports rendered invulnerable, as indicated above, Rear- Admiral Scott would depend entirely upon the volunteers for a land force. After speaking of the evil effects upon the community of standing armies-, he goes on to say : — " Now Zealand is, I repeat, well able to defend herself without risking such deterioration in her children. Her experience is altogether on the side of the fighting efficiency of her volunteers, for these, readily adapting themselves to bush warfare, finished the Maori war after the failure and withdrawal of the British troops ." Rear- Admiral Scott, with a good show of reason, deprecates the importation of outsiders trained in Old-world systems to organise the Colonial forces. Rigid formations and set rules for fighting, he considers, have not proved a success ; while the less trammelled movements of sailors, as in the case of Sir Charles Beresford and other naval commanders, have enabled them to perform services of the greatest value. He would thus rather leave the defence of the Colony to the volunteers, although their military training might not be of the most perfect kind, after the fashion of modern armies. Witfa. fchis view of the question w^» eox-<3ia.lly 9j»rSß, and hope, &s Iha reauti ot RearAdmiral Scott's address and the resolutions passed at the close of the meeting, that early arrangements will be made for the disbandment of the Armed Constabulary force, which makes a heavy levy upon the finances of the Colony altogether unnecessary, and better encouragement given to the volunteers. The martial spirit is not wanting in the Colony, and if the Government will but give sufficient encouragement to the movement, a really efficient volunteer force can be produced and maintained, and at considerably less cost than it is proposed to expend on defence at present. The native difficulty is practically at an end, and since the appearance of the volunteers at Parihaka little fear need be entertained on that score. The day of usefulness for the Armed Constabulary force has passed, and the sooner it is merged into the volunteer force the better for both tho defence and finances of the Colony. Hear-Admiral Scott has sounded the first note of warning, and let us hope that it will be taken up throughout the Colony in such a manner as to strengthen the hands of the Government in effecting muchneeded reform in the defence force.