, 1893-07-01

9O1pEephGn9lDle ana mas ndTuly any
counterpart in our homei affairs, where the
Legislature not alone by Laws for support to
aged persons, Poor-Laws, Railroad Laws, or
from time to time lay burdens on the inhabi-
ants. but where the Home Government. the
Municipal and Town Councils also constantly
are making demands for increased expenses
for schools, sanitary measures and other pur-
poses. Year by year the expenses of the
Municipalities are increasing and year afte-
year do the Municipal authorities as a naturar
consequence have to increase the tax percent
age, taxes on land AMI on properties. Here
at home there IL no question as to what is
absolutely necessary for the disbursements re-
quired by the times III al branches the exl
penses for same takes p ecedence Of all other
claims.
Why is this no. the same in the colonies ?
OF course tbs value Of properties would there
by be decreased, but that is also the case at
nome here in the Mother Country. The pay
ment of the deficit which the State Treasury
according to the Draft of Law would have to
assume is partly only all artificial mainten-
ance of value of property for the benefit of
the proprietors, and for doing this more in
the Colonies than at home here in the Mother
Country there can exist no sensible reasons.
If the State is to make sacrifices in aid of
the Colonies these ought more correctly to be
made in emecting measures for improving
agriculture, commerce, shipping and trade.
To give the aid in the form of assuming the
expenses or, as hitherto, in the form,of a large
contribution, will a.wavs have the character
of alms-giving and will hardly tend towards
increasing the Inhabitants feelings of indie
pendenoe and responsibility.
There is moreover nothing disquieting in
respect to the taxation and mortgage affairs
of the Colonies. st Thomas Colonial Council
has indeed endeavoured to form a comparison
between the taxation If st. Thomas on the
one aide and that of different foreign colonies
and European States, among other also Dem
mark, on the other side; but this oompari-
son is in a double degree misleading. When
(. /. the taxes Of st. Thomas are estimated at
Sl3 80 per individual against only S6.53 in
Denmark, these figures would about CORE
spond with the annual State expenses; bat
there ia then committed this oversight, that
the considerable annual deficit Of st. Thomas
IS not covered by taxes on the Inhabitants,
but by contributions from the State, to which
must be added, that no inconsiderable part Of
the other expenses are betrayed from reven-
ues such as fl. dues on shipping, Lighthouse,
and Harbour dues, which principally accrue
10 the Colonies themselves. Taking this INTO
consideration the amount mentioned as tax
per individual would be reduced to about one
half. And in calculating the tax per indi-
vidual for Denmark the Colonial Council has
entirely overlooked that we besides the state
affairs have 80 oonsid cradle municipal
taxes, tithes, and SO forth, which added TO-
gether, greatly exceed the State taxes and in
crease the burden of taxation per individual
to that stated for St. Thomas.
The tax relations is thus the re, erse and
the Colonial Council cannot with Justice com
plain if it be demanded at home thai the defolt
of the Colonies be covered by increased taxa
ton.
In regard TO st. Croix, matters are even
more favourable in respect to taxation. The
taxation would neither there reach that of
the Mother Country even if it be supposed
that the annual deficit of the Colonial Trea-
sury be covered by new taxes.
But that which is required for improving
m alters of taxation is first of all an entire or
partial reorganization Of the Hitherto existing
sntlquated system of taxation in such q man
ner that the revenues from taxes become
more certain and be not SO much dependent
on the good or bad result of each single
year.