COST OF LIVING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 186, 15 July 1940, Page 5

COST OF LIVING

SALES TAX AND FOOD IC;d- ~ Jr- * MANY LINES AFFECTED laol Although there are many everyx- day ldnes of foodstuffs and general e- household supplies not subject to sales tax, there are still a large e _ number of these commodities affect•j ed by the tax and the recent increase from 5 to 10 jier cent, is having a much more serious effect on the cost of living than is generally realised by the public. 51" Retail grocers are finding some r- difficulty in meeting the very definite imjjression in the minds of many customers that the great bulk of what 'may be termed everyday d "bread and butter" lines are not it subject to sales tax and that the tax affects only a small number oif re-i s, latively: unimportant articles which d. are imported from other countries. This is far from the real position. if The principal articles upon which h no tax is payable are-: Butter, bac[s on, cheese, lard, pearl barley, cornflour, candles, eggs, flour, infant and invalid foods, honey, condensed milk, oatmeal and rolled oats, potatoes and onions, split peas, rice, y sago, tapioca, sugar, golden syrup, y. treacle, common salt. n Taxable Commodities. It is admitted that these constin t.ute a fairly large proportion of j household grocery requirements. s There is, however; a much larger s listfc of goods in everyday demand ; that, although in the main produced or manufactured in New Zealand are subject to tax, of which the fol- , lowing are principal goods affected: _ Acids, ammonia, baking powder and custard powder, blue, blacklead, y metal polishes, boot polishes, borax, r ' lima and haricot beans, biscuits, dried and canned fruits, cordials, r coffee and coffee essence, ciocoa, 3 curry powder, confectionery, disinfectant, dyes, essences, floor polishes, tinned fish, ginger preserved and ground, jellies and -jams, must- _ ard, matches, oils of all kinds, r pickles, pastes and potted meats, pep per, tinned peas, lemon and orange . peel, macaroni and vermicelli, 5 soaps and soap powders, spices, starch, soups, sauces, tea, yinegar, tinned meats, patent medicines. ) In addition to the principal food - lines, vegetable seeds, bran, poljlard, - wheat, maize, chaff, oats and cigarettes are not subject to tax. Brusht ware, enainelware, chinaware, aluminiumware, glassware, cutlery and household hardware of all kinds are taxable, and so is tobacco. It. willl be seen from the above lists that a very large proportion of the household expenses is represented by" taxable lines.