DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 April 1924, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

[D\‘ TEl.Kfil’.M’lt —lM'.lt I'ItIOSS ASSOCIATION.! SOLKTTOI? FINED. CH IMSTCILUHCH, April ;«i. T 'A' llowe, a solicitor, wit’s lined LIU ami costs in each of two charges of failing to make income tax returns for l!)2-/aml 102:5. The defence was that the matter was one of pure dilator, ness. ’Lite magistrate replied that there were mitigating circumstances.

HOUSING QUESTION

AUCKLAND, April 30,

Justice Frazer in the Arbitration Court commenting on the cost of building a four or live roomed house, said he dirl not know why Now Zealand did not follow the practice of Cnited States where syndicates manufactured houses in sections and supplied a live roomed house complete with glass, hardware, roof, iron, nails and paint for a little over £IOO. the buyer getting a- house complete in sections ready to erect. Suppose freight and duty amounted to fifty per cent, the cost landed in New Zealand would hi* only a little o\er £loo.

Wright, representing the employers’ said four and five roomed concrete houses had been built in Non Zealand with water supply, drainage, and workers living there were very comfortable. The cottages wore let for ten shillings per week, and the proprietors made no loss.

TAX ATIOX .COMMISSION. DUNEDIN, April AO. The Taxation Commission resumed this morning. John Christie, a. farmer, stated the land tax in its present form was the most equitable from the viewpoint of a working freehold farmer. It had been the means of closer settlement through cutting up large holdings. On the other hand they realised that the Government would require to devise some means whereby Crown tenants should provide their share of taxation Crown tenants for many years paid income-tax only and now paid nothing, while during the same time the freehold farmer paid land tax, super tax, and income tax plus heavy rating ot charitable aid. The freehold farmer was taxed on the valuation placed in boom times and the Commission should consider a revaluation. If the freehold farmer were on income as well as land it would he a tax on thrift and industry and eventually the country would suffer through lack of production. A fruitful field for taxation at present unexploited, was municipal enterprise, such as power lighting. The taxation question was closely allied to an *jcient Government service. Eail Gre had said on his return to England that New Zealand was a colony of about one million, mostly in ?ln -’ ploy of the Government.