A CRITIC'S SPEECH

Hokitika Guardian, 1 August 1924, Page 4

A CRITIC'S SPEECH

WKU.I.NCTOX. .1 nlv fid. Altlmuoli .spoakino; from tho (iovorninont honchos Mr K. .1. linllexton. Tiliiiiiii. mapitiiiiiod n (lilio.d nttil.:do lln onolni’it his iluilpol s|;:'t‘ih. Ho o in - doinnod ilia polity of onrryiny lorwrrl :i mid analysed tho tinnnces of tho year miitondiiiy tlmt if thov Imd slu'd on their own foot olio million would h'.*‘ boon nai l IV,'in ourroiit rovonuo to tho I’uhlio AVorks fund. £A7o.(.'d!! for tho |iiiro!i:iii> of Hu it k of Now /onlmnl

share.s, ns i> >•!I ns I'diainc- f..r odm n lion mid limns, vhirh would hrinjr iit mil .surplus down to fj.'!S7difio. Thi wns nil aiiswi*r t- lII' Miyaostinn ilia lon nmi'h was I .duo wrino; troll] tin taxpayer.

“Tin* whole iiin nmt <>f accumulate siir|iltisrs. ii:‘ i Oiltilii!i a ;l. ‘‘should lan l.e: n ;ii»i>!n-iI. as in Kiiglaiul, to tv (luotioii of ill' war debt. If we !■:>< ilon- that v.i- should not have Inul Id. 111 :'Ii;i' sir.-nd mi soldiers' lands. t ! > i 11.-; t of u li ii 1 1 u i- liavo not yet iv; ovi-i' . nil from. :ind there would have In-t'ii m , land I; :i:n and ciiistijuoiii farmers troiiolcs. .tusn tin- land, if ii Inn In-on I .audit, would have l.ot-n bought r.ot for i :i -!*. lan loim-ls, a somidoi ii m:i i: :-i:i 1 way - I doing it. \Vi> slum I: also have l.on witliotil ilie* loss of flit million'- which »? v.-.-ra prepared t make in i ninoi-tion with srldier *cttlemont. it i-- no li.-e crying over spilt mill:, hitt I 'iiitL'i’.-t even tit the lltli. hour tli.-il wo sliould apply v.hat is left of tin- '•uiolusa> to loan reduction." Mr I’ell-.-st-.'ti went on to 'in- that wo raised our war loans hy hank note issue. causing an inllation of ctmvm-y. Kurland had adopted a pi 4 icy of dotlation. bringing it hack to the gold standard, and thi- ha-1 its inlluonoe on | .Now Zealand linanc?. If it. succeeded | then even ore who loane.-l Xew Zealand fit's' in ’l'!.’; tinder o inditi-nis of hi-.;!i j pri'.-st would -iro ii: value ikiuhle the amount of ! i j loan wlteti ii wn- repaid. | This was another argument in favour I . of 'retiin-e rid of tlie war doht as soon as possible. The bigger the surplus the greater the exeu.se for increased expenditure or decreased taxation. Me OMBKiißDKavvßaMHrniaaDßaaaßHMDm

ninihtuined on broad grounds that no reduction of taxation was justified last year, but remissions were made and lie gravely feared that in future the Finance Minister would need to increase taxation to make up bis revenue. He would make no objection to readjustments of taxation ly Customs concessions. but it would be advisable to keep up t! 10 total of gross revenue by increasing direct taxation. I lie snrplus should not be considered other ill,an ns a windfall or a temporary easing of the eernomic situat i >n. The time to practise economy was not when times v,ere had but when limes were go rrl. What th? (hiv/rnmeiit should do now was not to treat the surplus as a. basis for further r run essioi's in the way nf taxation, but rather as something whi'h would help us face the possibility of falling revenue, which mi-dit happen tit auv time. TAXATION COMMISSION. Commissions are valuable when it comes !.» c dlecling and silling evidence. was the opinion expressed by Air F. !. Ko'l.et ei|, but be cultured to suggest ro the l eivernni uit ihat when it calm* down to oues'icns i f methods of taxation atnl i oullr-iing tliearies then memb ts rd Parliament were unite competent to judge. He erilicired conlining the recent Taxation Commission solely to method- ef taxations, contant!itig that it should have investigated r> ponditore. It. was wrong to comimse it only I.f tax'u ’ vers. It .-Inaild have i ii'iiab'ii a political onl'niint ate! a rojirasentative of labour. Ifc knew it was said that p'diti xil e■ ::ncni!st:t were 1 oulv thec.-isis. but if tli- war did no Hher gm-l it taught stotr-a-en anil i tlier.-' in high pbe a little ah nit oa'i-ti-al eeaneaiv. lie asked if it was advisable for lie l|o"si ion ef the cijtiit.v i !' land ta.x to I • d -ehi'-il by large bind I taxpayer s. The Cnmr.iissinn lord wisely 1 fire- 'd the i:• t■ sjiii tv and amntmly as-, ieiaied with crimp uiy taxation, hut there was in lieu! to watt till ld'Jo to remove tire inir- *ie it was essentia! t:- do so without dele", a.nil if the Cnmmissimier of Taxes iva.s empowered to obtain tli" necessary information I ruin taxpayers lie could do so in a inutile til months and t apart i > Parliament bcfnro the s •.-■■ion (ml.si. In fare of the unanimous ramnl of the unninixsion that eiimpnnv taxation was unjust and ai'o eiloii': it wax not wise to unit till idjd to i—niedy it.