WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 June 1922, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

GOVERNMENT ACCOUNT KEEPING

FROM ONE POCKET TO ANOTHER. SPECIAL TO GUABDIAN. WELLINGTON,_ June 2 Speaking at the fnrewelling of the retiring Government Printer, Air Marcus Marks, the Hon G. J. Anderson, the Minister in charge of the department over which Mr Alarks lias presided, stated that “under the new system of keeping accounts, which gives every department Credit for what it does,” the Printing Office was not merely paying its way, but actually making a profit. The statement has provoked a good deal of discussion and sonic incredulity among business people here. Though largely responsible for tho inauguration of the “new system of keeping accounts,”, they refuse to believe that it really discloses the true financial position of the departments to which it is applied. The Government printing office has a monopoly of such parts of the Government’s work it cares to take and is free under this system of account keeping to make what charges it pleases fot its services. There is no competition to keep its prices down and no one to complain even if they are outrageously high. SHIFTING THE BURDEN. The heads of departments are disposed to regard the “system of keeping accounts,” which Air Anderson would have the public believe has disclosed such a satisfactory state .of affairs in the Government Printing Office, ns a hit of a jest. Any department is free to charge at what rate it pleases for any service it renders to another department; but such charges are not recognised in the public accounts and afford no relief at all to the unhappy taxpayer. No less money is spent and no more is earned. The credits and the debits are merely paper entries which involve a good deal of work, but produce no results. In this respect the position of the railway department is tho most difficult. It not only carries lime, manures, road metal and a score of other articles at ruinously low rates, but it also carries members of Parliament, school children, distinguished visitors, its own servants and hundreds of other privileged people on similar terms. And most of them turn and throw stones at the management. INCOME TAX.

Judging from the Press Association s summary of the Prime Alinister s speech at .Feilding three weeks ago. Mr .Massey sticks to his guns in regard to tiie income tax, maintaining that this impust is loner in New Zealand than it is in any of the Australian States, but lie presents only one side of the case, which is, of course, the side to which his taxing officers wish to give prominence. it is quite tmo that in the lower graduations ol the income lax New Zealand compares not unfavourable with most of tho Australian Stales, but in the higher graudntions and in the application ol the tax to companies it exceeds, thoni all in severitv, with the exception of Western Australia. It is particularly in tho income tax on companies as -Mr Massey himself has admitted, tint readjustment is needed and small investors here, as well as business men. ate Imping that the Aliuister’s natural desire to demolish the arguments ot his opponent will not divert his attention from the anomalies that are r < w crippling and even crushing commercial enterprise. PARTY AMENITIES. The members of the. new LibernlLahour Party are resenting very I strongly tho Prime .Minister s suggestion that they "an reach office on y h> •m alliance with extreme I.a hour. They retort that it is the Reformers, not the progressive Liberals and the -anc Labourites, that stand to profit hv Hie tactics of Mr Holland and Ins friends. In their annoyance they recall the fact that Mr Massey lias expressed a hope that Mr Holland will he m the next Parliament, anil the lurthei fact, as U.ev say, that the extremists already have rendered services to the Reformers at the polls. Hie truth is that Mr Massey and his admirers are much hotter tacticians than their opponents vet have shown themselves l. 1,0. With the existing system of election tliev have many opportunities t< play iff‘one section of their opponents ■ioailist another ami in making al possible use of them they will be simply following the example of their long line of predecessors m office.