GROWTH OF TAXATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 82, 4 October 1938, Page 6

GROWTH OF TAXATION

MR. WRIGHT AT NORTHLAND

At Northland last night, with Mr. Stanley Lambert as chairman, Mr. R. A. Wright, Independent candidate, addressed a meeting of electors of Wellington West. The attendance was good. Mr. Wright referred to the Public Debt and reminded his audience that under the present Government £45,000,000 had been borrowed in three years, which naturally was an increased charge on the Consolidated Fund. The railways had cost nearly one million and three-quarters last year, which was a further charge on the Consolidated Fund. In addition the guaranteed price for butterfat would cause a further loss of nearly one million pounds. This money would have to be provided from the Consolidated Fund. The Government had taken power to raise £5,000,000 to establish iron works at Onekaka. It was held by experts that this in- \ dustry, even if it supplied all the iron required in New Zealand, would not pay its way. Whatever loss was mads would be an added cost to the Consolidated Fund. Railways were being ! constructed which would not pay I operating expenses, and would be a further liability upon the Consolidated Fund. The various Government superannuation funds were admittedly unsound financially, although all members of the Civil Service had regularly paid their dues into the account, and the Consolidated Fund was now responsible for any liability in that direction. It would thus be seen that the taxpayer in New Zealand had little prospect of any reduction in the crushing burden of taxation now imposed upon him.

At the conclusion of the address a vote of thanks and confidence was cai'ried.