NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 677, 30 November 1909, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

The most serious objection to all the new taxation proposals of the Government is contained in the fact that if the Government had not been recklessly extravagant we should be obtaining re'missions of taxation in spite of the. Dreadnought that is made the scapegoat of the Government's political sins. /When Mr. Seddon died tho cost of the Departments amounted to £4,252,233 a year. That was for. the year 1905-6, and it was an excessive figure even then. For the year 1908-9 the amount was £5,575,483. Such an amazing increase—3l per cent., or £1,323,250 per annum !;-could be justified only if there had' been instituted many new and costly public services' of great magnitude.. What great public service, what' new. 5 and 'large extension of policy, has anybody heard of since 19061 There have been none. iThere is nothing that the can point to which can justify this extraordinary increase in the cost of State service. The increase is due simply' to waste and extravagance: And heavy as is the burden of taxation per head,- the Government cannot manage, without making ,it. still heavier. There is an idea in some quarters that although the; taxation per head is .high the average man is not.heavily penalised. Mr. Laurenson, wha appears to have discarded facts as-worthless, has been claiming 'that New Zealand is the_most lightlvtaxed country on earth, . This is too ludicrous to deserve comment, but we may quoto a table which is - taken from a paper presented to the Australian House of Representatives by the Federal Treasurer the other day. The figures come from the Commonwealth Statist's office: ,EGR CAPITA CUSTOMS'REVENUE. Five Tears' Average. £ s. d. United States America 10 8 Canada 2 t 3 Germany .' 0 15 5 Italv - "0 18 0 New Zealand 3 5 10 ; Ncw South Wales 1 0 1 Victoria 1 5 11 1 Queensland - 311 South Australia 1 13-11 Western Australia 6 7 7 Tasmania 2 10 5 Western Australia is abnormal in this as in many other statistical relations. New Zealand easily leads the other States quoted. The New Zealander pays in Customs duties four times as much as the inhabitant, of protectionist Germany, 2i times as much as the' inhabitant of the protectionist United States, and even ll times as much as the citizen of semideveloped and protectionist Canada.

. The member for Stratford must have-I been a little puzzled yesterday to: arrive •at the meaning of .the attack.made upon him by \the Prime Minister. He really, need, not have troubled himself about the matter. Sir Joseph Ward has found Mr. HiNE very, persistent in, inquiring; into the actions of Ministers in .various directions,' arid his; inquiries 'haVe ri'o'dbubt at times proved'embarrassing to members of tho' Government; In-attacking'the l mem-ber-for Stratford as he did yesterday,'the , , Pr'ime Minister : was, merely attempting to wipe off old 'scores; and in .ordor to carry out his purpose presumed on; the fact that ho was , dealing wifli a newrmcin-. ber of the House. > It is: really a;littlo amusing to find, the head of the. Goyernment.so hard pressed-for; means to make a score against an opponent, as to'have to,resort' to so transparent a piece 01 bluff. , / Mr.• Hine,' in sending'; a copy; of the Bill embodying the Government's proposals in relation to local bodies' sinking - funds ■to tho local .bodies; in 'his - distiict, and advising them that tho.pro:' posals ,wcre, ih.his opinion, antagonistic to the local bodies'* interests, only did his plain duty. .Indeed, he would,have bean neglecting theinterests of the local bodies in question, and of his constituents gonerally, had he failed > to keep them posted and omitted to advise them "how to act in a matter of such importance. Young members should not take the Prime Min-. IBTER too.'seriously as'an:authority.on siich : questions. His interests necessarily: bias his. judgment , . ..■,:■■- ■;..'• ,-.■ ,■: ,- '.."",