, 1888-04-25
St. Croix, 18th March 1888.
P. M. ANDERSEN, P. LEMMING,
Chairman. Spokesman.
w. H. BROWN. D. JAMESON.
= RADHAFT,
F. RAPHAEL

L. 1AHI1AEL.
Amendments to the Money Bills appear
under the several Bills.
End Member for Christiansted (Lemmjng)
as Spokesman of the Committee introduced
the Report. Honorable Members will have
noticed that under the Item D. 10 Department
of Public Instruction there is a proposal from
a Majority and another from a Minority Of
the Committee, concerning the amount IN aid
of a private high school for boys; in regard
to this matter he had just recently been
informed by the Chairman of the Committee
that the Majority had withdrawn their said
proposal as a consequence the Mmorltys
proposal falls away. Honorable Members will
furthermore have noticed that very little has
been proposed by the Committee to the
Budget or the Money Bills, as the amounts
entered in the present Draft are almost all
the same as those which were IN the last
Budget, as was pointed out by His Excellency
when introducing the Draft in Council. In
reference to the few proposals made by the
Committee, he would refrain from further
remarks, and they in reality required no
explanations, except the discussions to-day
should give rise thereto.
The Chairman placed the Chapter on the
Revenue under discussion to winch no
amendments had been proposed, but the
Committee had made a suggestion to the
Government.
The Governor Although the complying
with the Committees suggestion would cause
considerable additional work, he would en-
deavour as far as possible to meet the wish
expressed by the Committee N reference to
the required calculations in the remarks to
the Draft Of Budgets in future.
End Member for Christiansted (Sta6emanR}
would with regard to the taxation on landed
property beg to ask if the honorable Govern
meut do not think that there IS reason TO
change the whole rate Of taxation. The
Ground and Building tax IS collected on the
area, and it is we'll known that lots are OF
very little value now, and accordingly many
large houses pay comparatively a heavy tax;
for instance a large house, giving say @240
p. a. rental yearly, pays as much or higher
tax than a small house from winch the
yearly revenue is far above S24O P. a;
the difference arises from this that large
houses are not in much demand, there
fore owners derive a comparatively small
income, while smaller houses are IN great
demand and fetch higher income. II
the taxes were all collected according to the
revenue, there would be a more equal division
of the taxation; if say 10 to 10 Q % were
collected under one, instead of all the differ
ent rates, there would be done justice to all.
He would recommend that this matter be
taken under consideration and a change be
effected.
The Governor: To alter the system OF
taxation is Of course q serious thing it would
be necessary to consider the question very
closely, before he could give any answer to
the suggestion made by the honorable mem
Der. If we Judge from what is generally
considered to be correct, it would seem to be
but right that large houses should IN proper
ton pay more or higher taxes than small
houses. But he would not venture to say
that there may not be special circumstances
causing smaller houses to be more advantage
Gus than the larger ones; but this whole
question is one which he wasnot prepared TO
enter into now.
3rd Member for Frederiksteds Country
District (HewitN: AS the general Revenue
of the Budget is under discussion, he would
beg to call attention of the Government and
the Council to a certain bill connected with
the fiscal policy Of the United States winch
if it be passed III the form as introduced INTO
Congress, would affect us here in this Island
to a considerable extent. He asked for, and
obtained, leave to read two extracts from the