WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 24 November 1925, Page 4

WELLINGTON NEWS

HOLIDAY EXPEND!!UKE

(Bpociai to “GuardifJi".)

AV ELLINGTON, November ‘2O,

The prospects for retail trade arc beginning to interest retailers everywhere and some of the daily papers aic endeavouring hv interviews with iota ilers to discuss wl.at are considered to be the prospects. Shopkeepers as a rule must anticipate requirements, and order stock months before it can be exhibited on the counters for sale. The average shopkeeper is an optimist, and i- would Ik- alarming were it otherwise, ns he eonnnunieatcs his optimism to others. This optimism varies in degree, some arc ioohshly and extravagantly optimistic and act accordingly. Hut will the Christmas trade he ._-no<l 't. The shopkeepers say yes, hut with them the wish is father to the (bought. One likes to have more than tbe oninion of interested persons. There is, however, other and more convincing evidence that can he brought iorward. and this answers the question io iho affirmative, Christmas trade will be good, or at least ought to he better ih.ii, lu.-t Christum-, because the pur|,using, power of the people is gre.it-

r loan it ua - a year ago. Ihe balding retnres for ill,- September i|i:iirUT live prooi of that. The purchasing

never of the community i.- aseertamable by inking Ihe volume of iho free deposits nr current account hahinees and the note cirounltiou. 1 lie note oir.ultalion repre-euts tie- money actually in possession oi the people and available for immediate expenditure. Ihe current account balances can he drawn upon h\- cheque and arc likov, ise available for immediate expenditure. The note circulation and the free deposits were bulb greater in the aggregate than they were a year ago. I hat was the result of a good pr.ulnee season, fur all our main products sold at remarkably good prices, furthermore, the Government borrowed 1*7,000,000 in l.undon which helped to add to our prosperity. There has not been any unemployment ol any consequence, and except for the strike of British seamen tj-e industries of the country have been kept going steadily. The year |Hi", lias been what the Americans call a ••banner'’ year, and it would he remarkable under the circumstances if the ’Nmas trade was not a good deal better than in the past year. It seems that shopkeepers have a good deal ol

warrant for their optimism. It is probable, however, that the South Island will reap the richer harvest because of the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition, hut the general trade of the whole country should nevertheless be good and entirely satisfactory for the shopkeepers. IRRITATION TAXES.

The Commercial Men’s Parliament, or the conference of Chambers ol Commerce is to be held in Dunedin on Nov. oath and .7 tli. when the concentrated views of business men on business affairs will be given to the public. .Amongst the remils to be considered, and which has received the endorsement of the Auckland. AVnngnnui, Invercargill and AA'ellington Chambers is the following: “That the eonlerenee, while expressing satisfaction at the return of penny postage, considers the time has now a wived when the present rate of iM upon cheques and receipts should cease and a reversion be made tu the pre-war penny duty.’’ The two-pennv stamp on cheque and receipt is an irritation tax and there is no warrant for it. The Lax should have been abolished long ago: io the aggregate it is a small amount to the Treasury, tmt it is irritating to business people. The Government cannot ad-

vanee the argument that the Treasury eaniiol afford to remit the tax, or rather to reduie the duty to the prewar level, because last year and the • car before the State finances showed surpluses **f ov e! a million sr.-riing on (sob ,?(■'■;(si*oi, and those surpluses ivpr •■•>•!■ r t’ o unfair and un i ea-oiia bio exact i"iis made b.v the Treasury mi the ta\p:ivi rs ol the country. Taxation in New Zealand could easily be reduced by at least 1:1.000.0110 if Ihe Treasury would only cease Lo trails' the esti-

mates for the expre-s purpose of producing a -ttrplus. .And the people are to blame for not realising that the surplus menus the unnecessary plundering of I lie laxnavers.