TAXATION.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18234, 19 November 1924, Page 9

TAXATION.

COMMISSION'S REPORT, ADOBBSS BY MR F. J. ROLLESTON, M.P. •' (mcw> 10 "TH? JP«Bas."> .- • TDUItU, November IS. AftMUßht's meeting of tho South ftatabniy Chamber of Commerce, an \Mm was given bv Mr F. J. Rollesto,M.P., on the report of tho Taxaliw Commission, Mr Bolleston said that, except';"ttoclairraan, who was a Judge of the Sterne Court, three out of- the four Klips of the 1924 Commission had k»j) members of the previous Taxation Oomission, which had sat in 1923, (tittle report of this year's Commisilst, h wight therefore havo been ffptM did not differ very greatly m that of tho previous one. It noli-have been bettor had the ComWSffa. of 192-i been wider in its typo.uid contained in its personnel NpwfetoWives of other classes besides community. As a result tMtriaVniee offered had beqn targely H of one class of taxpayer, and Mtewwih/ tho conclusions of the Cora* BittiW'Were not as valuable as they BuHh&vQ been, mt summarising tho ; reeomniendaIww of the Commission with regard 4o income-tax, the speaker went on to" deal with the land-tax. Ho said Commissioners had, without imz any detailed reasons, merely retWWaded too abolition of tho land-*K:«d-;tl» graduated tax, and! sugWfed in its place a graduated incomoitt on. all income from land. The PWMrt- Jaw was that land in the tib'tt paid only kind and income-tax, •Kl» Itnd held for farminc, unless it *u leased, was subject to land-tax *Rly. As to tho practical effect of this |*°Himwdat\on the land-tax assessed '« ti» Inst year was rouahly one and {•Mf millions, whereas the income-tax WW farm lands in any.one year would w WOOfd £250,000, therefor© tho wofitjon of the land-tax and the subwitation of tna income-tax would at w present time, involve a loss of re'•ia» of one and a-quarter millions, *w£ would have to bo made up by *B iwrease of the income-tax or by •oop- indirect taxation. Mr Rollesion adduced a number of ■•Bjioonts in favour of the land-tax, TO concluded by saying that it was afti to say that there was no chance '? fl» near future of this recommendam being carried into effect.