POLITICAL NOTES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2579, 29 September 1915, Page 3

POLITICAL NOTES

: THE TOTALISATOR TAX. : Explaining. his proposals on the Finance Bill last night, Sir JosephWard said that in the Budget he had proposed a 2f per cent, tax on totalisa-tor-takings. It had been found more practicable to take the. amount off.individual dividends, and it was now intended to make the following deductions from dividends on a; twenty shilling totalisator:*—From dividends of £2 10s. and under, Is!;!■ dividends between £2 : 10s. and £3 10s., is. 6d.; between £3 " 10s. and £4 10s., 2s. For every pound or fraction of one pound over £4 10s: there shall bo added to the duty of 2s. . > the sum of 6d. In the case of a ten shUJing totalisator the deductions; pro- • posed were as follow':—From, a dividend of £1 10s. or less, 6d. j between £1 10s.' and £2 lOs.j Is. ; and after that the same as in'the case of the larger totalisator. In addition a duty of one, per cent, is to be inybosed "upon all stalces wonat all race meetings in New Zealand. The Racing Clubs, concerned are made responsible for tho collection of these special taxes. ■ ' .

PATRIOTIC AUCTIONS. : The Auctioneers Amendment Bill, introduced into ;the House by the Min- . ister of Internal Affairs, proposes to relax considerably the law regarding the ' conducting .of' auctions, provided: that, those auctions aro for the purpose of - disposing of goods ..for: the. benefit .'of patriotic funds.' At present it is not i ..Lawful;, for : any -person riot a< licensed auctioneer to'sell any goods by 'auction, for any purpose whatsoever..This, very strict rule lias not been strictly observed: Auctions have,been conduct,ed by unlicensed, persons, but there have been no prosecutions. -Tho new . Bill ■ proposes -' to; relax the 1 restrictions without doing away with them alto-', getlier. It provides that no person who is not-a licensed auctioneer shall sell by auction under the proposed Act un-less-he. is. specially authorised in writing, to do so by a Stipendiary Magistrate, or by any Mayor of the city, or ■borough, or'the chairman.of the county ! : .or town district in which . the sale is to take placo, or by the society or trustees controlling the war' fund to which I the': proceeds of'. the! sale are to be paid.

THE EXTRA POSTAOE. ;; A', request "that the . surcharge : : on ■ .letters! because of tho failuro of the senders to affix the. extra postage should not bo charged for;, a fo.w days .yet- was made of the 'Postmaster-General''yes-terday by Mr. G.' .Witty, The member -for -Riccarton: suggested that many people in the back-blocks would not know, of the regulation increasing , the postal rates.: Sir.Joseph Ward said lie would he very glad to give consideration to tho request, but it was no easy matter to. introduce increased charges. If t .they .were-.t0.-waituntil all the'people . were communicated with; they : would ; have to wait! for perhaps three weeks. It was absolutely; necessary, however, that 'all our; increased taxation, should come; into operation, as quickly as possible. !-'■'..-

ENEMY COUNTRY IMPORTS. An. interesting . statement 1 regarding our imports from enemy countries prior to the war-was made by' ; Sir,; Joseph Ward, when dealing-with ihe'Finance Bill in -Parliament ■ la*t night. , Prior to 1914, he said, the country of origin of goods was never .known in! New Zealand,'; but after 1914 the country of origin had to . he; inserted. . ; For . the seven months prior, to tie outbreak of war the value of, goods imported from Germany;was.:'£l,ols,ooo,; £49,000, from-Turkey £30,000, and from Asiatio Turkey £39,000. "The!Cus-' toms Department estimated that- if the War .had not broket: goods imported from those', countries, for ith'e. year' Would have amounted ..to £1,700,000. Dealing with the Customs duties, lie said that from the alterations on bicycles, motor-cycles, motor-cars, gas andioil engines and accessories, it was estimated that they would raise £45,000, on a basis i of 10 per cent. British made, 20 per cent, on neutral country : goods,' and SO per cent, on enemy: goods from which they, expected nothing. ; From tlie increases- cn spirits, from 16s. io 17s. per gallon; they would get. £40,000.' If the tax of 50 per cent, on the articles ho had mentioned was not enough' to keep out those'enemy goods we should make it' sufficient.■ ■

THE APPROAOHINC END. '■'I' tliiilk : ibai wo may close down the session about the middle of next week," said; the Prime Minister in the-House! -yesterday afternoon. Ho said./ thai Bills: j'et to be introduced; included - a small Land Bill, a Washing-Up- Bill, a Commercial Trusts Bill, which would deal with the< matter of the cost' of living, and a small Defence Bill., Ho did not think .that ', this business would take very long. As soon ast'he Finance Bill' was out of- the way, he'said,' he

would make a more definite statement as to, the position.. ALL MUST PAY, In reply to a request put forward in the Houso yesterday; by Mr. R. •,Fletcher thati friendly societies which were already feeling severely the burden ol the war should be freed from the new postal tax, the Postmaster-General, Sii Josoph Ward, said that there was nc section of the community he would more readily favour-, in this way; but t'heso new charges were war taxes, and no section of the community could escape this;tax. ; ' • ' •

TAXING THE BANKS. ■ A reference to the ■: proposed change in the method of assessing taxation on banks was made; by Sir Joseph Ward in. his remarks oii the second reading of . the Finance- Bill■ last night. The Minister explained that it- .was now proposed to make an. increase, in' the tax on banks by way of-an assessment on the assets and liabilities. As a result of further inquiries made since the, Budget was brought down, he was not at all: sure that it would be possible to -obtain the revenue expected by continuing the note tax proposal, as the banks might increase their gold circulation .and reduce their note issue accordingly. By fixing the tax upon income assessed upon the total assets and liabilities and allowing the note ; tax to remain as it was, the Government would for a certainty obtain the increased revenue sought. Another proposal which it was claimed would serve the same end, with less trouble to the banks, had just been submitted to him by a representative; of the bankersj but the matter required careful -consideration, and he desired that the' proposal in the Bill be given legislative authority in tile meantime. .