THE WAR BUDGET.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2558, 4 September 1915, Page 3

THE WAR BUDGET.

' . Sir,—You to-day published . "some interesting 'views" ;of the War Budget-. i.? 1 e ' heen designed, pre.sumably, to touch; the-iwckets of those' wh° aiford to pay.';'-'' Business Man's" views hit off tiie. situation in ;some, respects,, and lie points 'to- eomoor tlio weaknesses, of tho Budget. The. . failure to tax luxuries is apparent, and _ scarcely undersMndable'- why Sir' , Joseph Ward: should : have , spared the ■pockets of those , who will bo extravagant in:.war time. Silks .aid. satins, pianos, and other musical instruments, motor-cars, , and all, wheel traffic, pic! ture shows, and .theatres should havo been. taxea. Ineu*-omission, is' perliaos an-oversight. Then moro ought to have been taken, out of racing, and what does oho. shilling extra -on : whiskv amount, to p To'the retail consumer of alcoholic drinks the extra beer and whisky-duties cannot bo passed,on to Public j and extra duty of a penny per ticket on. picture show and theatre tickets would-also have come out of the pcckets of large proht-enrning entertaining companies, llacmg ■should' be taxed tour times the present amount, and no one would, be hurt. People would have : their sport and tho, country bo the more largely benefited. -. Tobacco',and ' cigars ought to haVo suffered still greater. imposts.- Large .financial, institutions °"Sht to ,bo . bearing : a greater share or the wav burdens than they now do, and bankers'..profits .which run to 22f . percent, dividends should be.more than •half-iibsorbed;- by the Exchequer.' It was amusing Mr. A. M. Lewis's determination about the duty -on lemonado and other ;non-alcoholie liquors. He says that .the ."penny, per dozen on lemonade will bo passed by him on to the public;■ and :theii-;he. talks about,, the budget not being conceived in -the ■spint.of :';Bear. yo one another's bur- . ■ dens. -- .By. passmg. it on to tlio con■fi" 11 ? 1 ' , - -^ ew i® ■ will,not. even bear the burden designed for his own shoulders. -Many people will: endeavour to pass on to -the consumer the taxation" under the Budget they. should pay themselves out v of , the 'profits of their businesses,-,and so tho under 'dog—the ; wbrking man—will have to : pay ..the , extra .duty out of his already won't-go-tar-enough-now., wages. • Mr. Lewis gives o-he show, away," .so to speak," when ho tells'us that lie will pass on to the consumer the penny per dozen on the lemonade .Tliis is the attitude of t!i6;manutacturer. generally—the conBiimer must pay; all cl that'is why Sir iJoseph- Ward lias east the bulk of the burdens upon land and- income for'the - .-producers cannot pass it on to the 'coiisumer. Rlfnless the world's markets are sufficiently high to givo them an extra' - return equal-to the. increased taxatidlr they ; shall, liave to .contribute. There ■ are aiiomalies in the. Budget, but no Budget was ;ever found free of them. It would have been a simple tax in postages .if the Minister -'of' Finance had' made unclosed or printed matter letters ono _ penny, and doubled 'the' taxation on closed letters. Tliese are details Tho main thing is 1 that more money had to'be found, an<l Sir Joseph Ward' has found it in a way thait, I think, will ■prove ilaast burtlensome to the community. ~ AYo will 'all have to pay something; more under the new Budget but no one will be called upon to make any real sacrifice for the common good: And'there are. sources of revenue the , Minister of 'Finance will say that are not yet exploited. ' These are in .reserve, ■ aiid may be marshalled at an opportune moment.—l. am, etc., NATIONAL ELECTOR,