10 



/. E. Le Rossi gnol and W. D. Stewart 



Atkinson now brought forward a bill to establish a general 

 property tax on the American model, and the Act was passed on 

 December 19, 1879. 1 ^ provided for a tax of one penny in the 

 pound (five-twelfths of 1 per cent) on all assessed real and per- 

 sonal property, with an exemption of £500. Atkinson admitted 

 that much was to be said in favor of taxing used lands held for 

 speculative purposes, but considered the policy impracticable. An 

 income tax, also, he rejected as "too inquisitorial and unavoid- 

 ably open to great inequalities," nor did he think it desirable to 

 attempt to break up the large estates by means of a progressive 

 land tax. The property tax remained in force until September 

 8, 1 89 1, when it was repealed. The following table shows how 

 the tax was paid in the year 1881 : 



The property tax. though by no means onerous, soon became 

 unpopular, chiefly among the small farmers and tradesmen. The 

 usual objections, some valid, but many trivial and baseless, were 

 urged against it. The small farmers disliked paying taxes, how- 

 ever small, upon buildings, implements, and live stock. They 

 suspected their rich .neighbors of successful evasion. The trades- 



1 Property Tax Act, 1879. 



258 



