Resistance along the Upper Adige Against the Draft Consumption Tax Law

From the Upper Adige. I can inform you on fairly reliable authority that the delegates summoned to Innsbruck have rejected the draft of the new consumption tax law presented to them, clause by clause, declaring themselves solely in favour of the surcharge (Aufschlag) as a fair form of taxation that treats every consumer with the utmost consideration, whereas the consumption tax, in whatever form it might be implemented, would inevitably bring in its train numerous drawbacks, especially those onerous surveillance measures that have already quite justly caused so much discontent. The aforementioned protest of the delegates against the provisional consumption tax law has now been forwarded to the Ministry of Finance, and until its ruling, the current method of collection remains in force. If the representations of the delegates and the general public desire are addressed by lowering the tariff and moving the surcharge toll station on the Vinschgau route to the natural wine border, the Töll, one may be assured that a large portion of the grievances against the surcharge will be resolved. It is, after all, well known that this is merely a temporary measure which must yield to a general consumption tax law, slated to be one of the first tasks of the forthcoming Imperial Diet. Until then, public sentiment will surely favour the surcharge—for which there is already considerable preference in the northern districts of the province—over a statute that classifies every wine producer as a tradesperson subject to state supervision. The government can only benefit from this: on the one hand, accommodating the delegates' proposals will demonstrate respect for public opinion, and on the other, the surcharge secures revenue that far exceeds that of the consumption tax. All of this leaves little doubt that the Ministry will likewise declare itself in favour of temporarily maintaining the current method of tax collection with minor modifications.