MUSICAL SOCIETIES AND AMUSEMENT TAX

Evening Star, Issue 20133, 25 March 1929, Page 14

MUSICAL SOCIETIES AND AMUSEMENT TAX

AIE UNFAIR CHARGE [Pe» United Press Association,] Invercargill; March 2.i Representatives oi the .Invercargill Amateur Operatic Society, the Invercargill Male Choir, and the Invercargill Choral Union waited on the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) this morning. Mr R. C. Galloway stated that the deputation was concerned with the operation of the amusement tax, which necessitated such organisations as they represented paying the tax if they engaged paid soloists from their ow r n town or from other centres, and this despite the fact that they made' little or no profit and that that was devoted either to a continuation of their work or to philanthropic purposes. On the other hand, if the soloists were not paid the organisations were exempt from the tax. This hit such a town as Invercargill particularly hard, since, when local talent had been exhausted, it was imperative to engage .performers from other centres to provide the audience with something new. They asked that such organisations ns these be exempt from the amusement tax. Replying, Sir Joseph Ward said that a note"had been taken of their representations, which would be. liled for future reference, and would be considered when the question ,of taxation generally was gone into some time in May.