LETTERS TO THE EDITOR THE MURDER OF A NATION. THE RECRUITING CAMPAIGN. MILITARY FUNERAL. PREFERENCE FOR BRITISH GOODS.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2704, 25 February 1916, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

THE MURDER OF A NATION.

THE RECRUITING CAMPAIGN.

MILITARY FUNERAL.

PREFERENCE FOR BRITISH GOODS.

Sir, —Both Germany and America aro being blamed at the present time for not preventing the massacre . of the Armenians b.v bringing pressure to bear upon the Turk. Has the British peoplo forgotten that there was a day -when we fought side by side with Turkey ngaiust Russia to prevent Russia driving Turkey out of .Europe, and tliat wo liavo from that time made regular systematic protests to our quondam Ally against the persecution of our fellow Christians ill Armenia? But it was part of the policy of our statesmen to keep the Turk at Constantinople, in order that the balance of power might not be disturbed. Had British diplomacy been superior to German with tho Turks, and in consequence Turkey were now lighting on our sido, what action should we take in tho present circumstances? —I am, etc., j H. HAROLD ROB JOHNS.

Sir, —At the last meeting of the Upper Tlutt Town Board, an almost insolent reply was sent to tlie Prima Minister'® recruiting circular. The attitude of the board does not represent by any means the opinion of the thoughtful portion of tliis community, and such a reply nrast have been disappointing to at least two of its members.' When the Government considers conscription necessary, they will say so, arid it is not for small bodies like the Upper Hutt Town Board to dictate _ tc the powers that be, but to fall into line, and do their bit towards making the existing arrangements more perfect, instead of shirking their duty behmc some Socialistic platitude.—i am, etc. PHIL. D. DAVIS. Upper Hutt, February 23, 1916.

Sir, —In your issue of tins date, reference is made t-o the firing party, supplied by the 13th Reinforcements at the funeral of the late Pte. Moore yesterday. Permit me to supplement it. Ir my long experience, I never "witnessec such a continuous slow march wit! arms reversed, nor a band which playec the Dead March a. distance from Cam bridge Terrace, via Vivian, Ingestre and Willis Streets, to the comer o: Upper Ghuzneo Street!_ Such a straii would be severe even in the old days when troops were taught to march past in slow time. The firing party and band it is true, ivere not in the same step but the march was deserving of you: praise. The beautiful funeral marcl was excellently rendered by the bam (the Trenthain), and the length of tin performance was a record. —I am, etc. J. T. MARSHALL. February 24.

Sir, —At the present time .111 Exhibition is being lield in Wellington, in conjuncton with which strenuous efforts are being; made to foster and er.courRge the policy of New Zealanders generally 'purchasing British-made goods. One would think that our own Government, especally at-the present time, would assist tliis idea to the' utmost of its power, and it may possibly surprise tne public to know that its present policy has exactly the opposite eifect. There exists on the Now Zealand Statute Book an Act levying taxation on the incomes—derived from New Zealand—of non-resident traders. The eifect of this tax is that British goods ccming to New Zealand are doubly, and sometimes trebly, taxed; first, by the English taxation oil the manufacturer; second, by the New Zealand Government tax above referred to on the, maker through his agent for New Zealand ; and third (in most cases) by the nbovo tax levied through tho London merchant, who collects the goods from tho manufacturer for tho New Zealand 0 importer.

As .far back as 1912, when this taxi was proposed, it was stated by a deputation to the High Commissioner, representing the Mauchester,Birniingham, Bradford and Leeds Chambers of Commerce, that New Zealand was the only country which imposed both a stamp tax and an income tax on foreign capital (and as regards this tax Great Britain ranks as a foreign country). It was further stated that such a tax would have disastrous effect upon the British export' trade to A T e\v ZeaTand, and that such tax was in direct discouragement; of trade.

Since then the tax has been, imposed, though for reasons best known to the .Government it has been enforced in a very indiscriminate fashion, some importers being forced, under threat of legal action, to pay, whilst others have escaped. Many, British manufacturers refuse to pay the tax, which will result in their withdrawal of their New Zealand representatives, which again suggests the anomaly that a British manufacturer having a resident agent spending his income in New Zealand is taxed, whereas a foreign firm having no representative in New Zealand is free of the tax. To what extent a law so operating encourages trade with Great Britain may easily be judged by Mie . public.

One manufacturer recently commented as follows:—"The whole thing is absurd in, the extreme, and it appears to ,us as though your New Zealand Government are simply trying to stop the importation of English, goods, and lo icause both you and ourselves endless trouble, which at, the present juncture is quite unnecessary." This question concerns the producers and their export merchants as much as tho importers., because the Chambers of Commerce in England rightly point out that if the British Government pressed for payment of income tax on the New Zealand plan, every exporter of wool, meat, or cheese from tho Dominion would have to pay a tax in Great Britain on that portion of hi 3 profits which was made Shore as well as the-tax of tho New Zealand authorities on the whole of his income;, and furthermore, they intend to agitate for such legislation if the New Zealand Government insists on continuing its present unjust taxation. Mr. R. W. Dalton,-the new British Trade Commissioner in New Zealand, very ably explaned at tho New Zealand Club luncheon yesterday, many of the handicaps tinder which the British manufacturers are placed, but he refrained from mentioning this—tho unfairest of all imposed by their own kinsmen—possibly from courtesy to the Dominion he has just arrived in, but it is to bo hoped both ho and other abler pens than tho writer's will tako up this question with the seriousness it deserves. ■ Trusting you will find space to bring this matter before the public through tho columns of your paper.—l am, otc, BRITISH MANUFACTURERS' AGENT. February 23.

Somo curious facts about domestic servico in Brazil arc brought out in a. Consular report from Rio Grando do Sul. Servants will not sleep in the liouso as a' rule, but expect to leave at seven at night an?, not return till seven or eight next day. As ti result some houses. have a pane of glass in one of tlio windows taken out, through which the baker and the milkman pass their goods on their early morning I rounds, without troubling a member of tho family to get up and open tha door. A lady in Philadelphia is the patentee .of a bracelet to which is attached a chain to prevent a wearer losinc her muff or uursa.