THE WAR BUDGET.

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

THE WAR BUDGET.

Sir,—l shall be' very grateful if you : will allow.me■ space in, your pa.per for I a few words.: upon the Budget. . Mr. Magsey's reason-for so enormously taxing landowners is that the landowners have gained very, much from, the war,, and he -.particularises "meat, wool, cheese, etc." Tako meat. Last autumn the freezing 1 companies having filled all their available space, ceased work, because tho ships used for. the export of frozen) meat were required for war purposes! In conseguence complete stagnation - in, the stock, market ensued. Sheep wcro sold'last April for as low a prico as they have ever toudied, even in the '"boiling down" days. At a moderate estimate stock fell fully 50 per cent-, in value from that of the previous, year.. 'How, "then,, has the war benefited the meat, trade ? ' Take wool. Tito war tax is imposed for how long? Is. it 1 to be supposed that those present "valueswill . prevail after the. war ? If wool values fall, will the war tax 1 be reduced? Besides this proposed enormous'taxation on land and the in-' .come 'derived from it, the landowner shares alike in all.the other taxes. The proposal seems too drastic—l am. etc., ' HEAR THE OTHER SIDE.