PUZZLE: FIND ECONOMY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 574, 31 July 1909, Page 3

PUZZLE: FIND ECONOMY.

CHANGES IX STAMPS DEPARTMENT. A DANGER ILLUSTRATED. The danger of placing tho assessment of duty on deeds in inexperienced hands, as is certain to be done'if this "work.is transferred to District Land Registrars, as Cabinet has proposed, is strikingly illustrated by a case which has come under our notice. At one of tho smaller afficos'of the Department, where the work is done by post office'officials, it was recently discovered that a certain document, much more important than was superfioially apparent, had been .stamped for a nominal amount, when, as a deed of gift, it was - liable to duty to an amount Avell on to : wards £1000. This case curiously confirms the. suggestion made in a special article in The Dominion that a deed .worth £1000 in duty inig'bt vory easily, by an inexperienced assessor, be scut out with a 10s. stamp attached., -.' ' Dr. Findlay stated at; Dunedin that he understood it. had, been represented that a saving of £11,000' .would be effected by the proposed changes in- ;the Stamps Department. The appropriations for this Department for 1908-9 , totalled £13,416. ,To .achieve tho economy suggested, it will bo necessary to roduoe this amount to £2416. That is to say, : the amount for salaries—stated at £6340--must.be reduced by nearly' two-thirds, and the expense of ''other charges"—totalling £7076—wiped completely out of existence. But tho entire work of stamp printing and issuing is to be transferred to the'. Postal Department, and that entails the following expenditure Custodian and : issuer of stamps £330, chief stamper £210, eight stampers £655, : blocks for postal notes £80, die for postcards-£6O, new plates and dies for printing stamps £700, postage stamp and other paper £2000,. printing .; inks''"£l2so,'. stamp Messes ,"£lO, stamp-printing machinery £500,-total £5795—0r more than twice the sum.to ivliich the total expenses must Iw reduced to effect, the saving promised. The

cost or postage stamp and : other paper, (£2ooo)'isialmost twice as large as any other' .'item. in- the' Department's, expenditure, and 'it■ is - not ;to ■ be. imaguied that .Cabinet.. has devised :a< plan for, printing stamps "without paper-in future.,' A remnant of tihe Stamps Department will remain with Mr. Corliss, its •present. head,,nearly' all •.thoi.senidr -officials: . will be . still .required, and ...the postal Department is anxious to absorb, shelterless cadets.' So . where .i s , the' s wand that'can dissolve into thin air requiromcret3' to. the . value of '£11,000; out of a total requirement 0f, ; £13,416, while, maintaining, under one Departmental roof or, another, all the'-functions, -,and virtually.' all ■ the . staff of the: Department?. And this is not a.Depart-, merit! for which largo , votes, are passed under! vague and sliadowy denominations. The amount set down in the appropriations .'for travelh'ng , allowances. is. : a mere '£100,. and ''obitirigericies;'' ii name .that .can be ma.de to'shelter' hundreds,' accounts for only £20.

: STATEMENT, BY DR; PINDLAY.,.: ; i'. • ■~..,. (By. Telegraph.—Presq Association.) • ■', -' , ! i.. : ' Christchuroh, July. 29. The 'Hon. Dr. Fihdlay, Attorney-General, was kept fairly busy with public business this morning. ' ' ■' / * -'■'' : ' " ~ -•' ' Atelov'eri o'clock, a large deputation waited upon him in regard'to the proposed change in Hhe, methods of conducting the affair's of the Stamp' Departments'"The" Minister said that practically'ithe/pnly- reply he had to give was the reply he.gave to a similar deputation'in Dunedin. The change wab outlined by Sir' Joseph. Ward some two" : months ago in a speech at.Petone, and he then stated that the scheme :wbuld result in the saving of a very large sum each,year.,; He frankly admitted l that, the' question ; was whether, the change .would; save many thousands a'year. The object was not to centralise. 'It. was proposed, however, that all work connected with the, assessment and collection' of stamp duties should be done'in Wellington/ and all accounts of 'deceased persons' estate's would have to'be sent;there, and assessments-would be given locally'by, officers • of: the Land and Income .Tax Assessment Department. In his opinion, .unless an undisputed saving could bo effected "there would be no justification for the change. He was not in a position to say how.far, that saving would go; Since' he' was in Dunedin he had-askedfor fuirdetails, and when the statement was,.'available' he .would submit'it-to Cabinet which .would reconsider the-matter.' ,-•'■' '"■'; ■■'■■'.' ' ' " "DEPLORED." ;■/ ■. ; , •■'■ :'''-. ",•'•,■/;' •''• Dunedin, July3o.'■'■' 'MVmbers'.of: 1 the Dunedin Stock Exchange depbre the proposal to, close' l.the. .Stamps Office in Dunedin, because' any change ' of system which is likely.to create delay.nrthe stamping of documents would probably re-; suit.in serious consequences. They hope \the authorities/will seriously reconsider tboquestion, as it would'lnvolve- considerable delay in the .stamping of transfers, as .the documents willhave to be lodged in'two separate Government offices before:the .stamping, is complete.'' ■