BOWLED OUT AGAIN.
So few of the general public trouble to follow at all closely the arguments of politicians on financial matters that it is not surprising if at times our wizards of finance are 'tempted to trespass unduly on the credulity or ignorance of those whose support they are seeking. • It seldom happens, however, that experienced Parliamentarians lay themselves so open to correction as Sir Joseph Ward clicl in his Whiten speech on the question of increased taxation, In another column ,a correspondent who signs himself "Democrat" makes the Leader of the Opposition look very foolish indeed, and leaves hjin not the smallest chance of a loophole out of which to wriggle. The facts of the position are too simple to pfirmit of any confusion or doubt, St® Joseph, who is particularly sensitive on the question of his financial administration, laid himself out in his Win ton spcech to annihilate the financial policy and administration of the Massey Government, and more csp&staliyj did ' he Unloose the vials of; liis wrath on his successor, the Hon. James Allen. On the subject of taxation he waxed most virtuously indignant He conveyed ths impression that he \va.a absolutely hoi'rifed to discover the extent to which ths burden of taxation had been piled up by this wretchcd .Gov' eminent, which had relegated him to the cold shades of Opposition. "It was perfectly idle." he said, "for the Massey .Government to attempt to refute the Witt that sinco they have taken office the taxation of the people has risen by 10s. fid. per head for every man., woman., and child in the Dominion," and to substantiate his statement he quoted the Official Tear Booh This showed, He declared, with all the dramatic emphasis fitting to the 'great occasion, that when the Ward Government left office in 1911 the taxation was £4 tCs. lid. per head. The first year the ' Massey ■Government came into office they increased it to £5 3s. K)d, per head, and in ldlS-it was increased'to £5 V& 2d, "That is an increase since I left office," declared Sir. Joseph, "of Ms, 3d, per head." The arithmetic of our ex-wizard of finance, it will be seeii, i? unquestionably correct; £>} His. lid, from £0 Ts. 2d. leaves 10s. 3d.; and when we are told that tho figures are taken from the Official Tear Book what wove can te said 1 Poor Silt Joseph i He forgot just one thing. He did not leaye office in 1811', and the figures'of the Official Year Booh which he quotes to sub stantiate his allegations cannot by any twisting or juggling be made to sliow that the Massey Government was responsible for the increase in "taxation per head of the population which occurred between March St. 1911, and, March 08, 1912, when- Sir ■Joseph II : uvd hiiiintlf was in off in:. In plain words, Sill Joseph Wasp lias attempted to saddle the Masses Government with an increase of taxation which occurred during his owji term of office, and whivh the official records he quotes show Occurred during his w» term in office. He can explain as best he can how he came to make this extraordinary inaccuracy, That theye shall be no room for doubt en the question, we qu.ote the .Official Ticer Back which w Leader
of the Opposition gives as his authority. Hsvence from -Taxation Per Head of Mean Population. Year Bevemie. ended March 31. ■.£ s. d. 1910 1 5 8 lilli 1 ]8 II 1912 5 3 10 1913 5 7 a Sin Joseph Ward went out of office oil March 28,1012 (his own anthoniy, the Official Year Hook, confirms this). Thus Hie increase of Ga. lid. between 19.11 and 1912, which he attempts to saddle on' to the Masse? Government;, his own Government was responsible for. The Massey Government did not come into office until July, 1812, so that it could not bo held responsible even for the much smaller increase of 35.-4 d. which occurred between 1912 am! 1913. SIR Joseph Ward's unhappy blunder must prove _quite as embarrassing to his journalistic allies as to himself, for they greedily seised on his figures as a means _of attacking the Govcnnnent. Even though they may admit their error and confess, the injustice they have done the Masse? Government, they will still find it somewhat awkward to explain away the increase of taxation during the last year of the Ward regime to which Sift Joseph W«a> himself has been indiscreet enough to direct public attention. They have grown so accustomed, how* ever, to finding themselves in predicaments of this nature that one more exposure of their misrepresentations is hardly. likely to occasion them over-rauch embarrassment.
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Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1993, 25 February 1914, Page 6
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781BOWLED OUT AGAIN. Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1993, 25 February 1914, Page 6
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