What Taxes do you Pay?

Can you answer that question? Have you any knowledge on the subject? And if not, are you content to remain in ignorance of it, or do you wish to learn?

About thirty years ago, it was related as a good joke in London, that a Member of Parliament, being constantly tormented by a poor relation to get him "a billet," was at last provoked into saying, "Oh, do go to New Zealand! Four harvests a year, and no taxes!"

However the facts may have been then, I believe there is many a man in New Zealand now who does not know, although he would like to know, what taxes he pays, and what are paid by his neighbour. I propose to impart that knowledge to every, one who chooses to read this little Handbook. I do so because I observe that there has been little exact talk in public—even at election meetings—on the subject; that the newspapers abstain from a thorough discussion of it; and that even in our Parliament, sitting at Wellington, the question was Very superficially gossiped about last year rather than thoroughly investigated, and a resolution arrived at which amounts to postponing any action for change until public opinion shall have made itself heard thereon. I humbly hope that the publication of my own inquiries into it may help in the formation and expression of public opinion before next session.