WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 17 October 1928, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS

CUSTOMS DUTIES

THE LABOUR VIEW

(Special to “Guardian”.)

WELLINGTON, October 15. In Opening Lis election campaign at Alastertbn, last* week;.; Mr H. 'E.. Holland,* ih&leader of thp Labour Opposition, announced that, his party ultimately would abolish“--all ' Customs duties.-on;' goods that cquld not be produced in the Dominion: '.’“Ultimately” is often p. .convenient clehnitiou of time —partjculiVtly; tyiten' itis 'desired: that the .i'emote—a fid 'prob r ably AjifiHoHand hiul no wish:to commit hiiAsblf; t<y any ; yearly /revision of the Cus|clr]iis*tariff,. .The u ever, pcjuitsr’oiffi that the abolition of,, all are not protective would^pfeiinffff'‘.Considerable;.diminution olf Im^ia:lypreierence ; and asks if the from " tfi'^vojr£p|gy’•and Mo renounce the tariff means of keeping business within the (family.,,‘The “Post” will not take for an answer Labour’s familiar retort that:by “taxing the big estates , and the big incomes” the loss of Customs .yeyenue would bp,- made up. The additibiiall'evenue to be obtained from the taxation: of -big estates and big incomes ‘would go T but a small way towards balancing the loss of customs revenue. A substantial reduction in public expenditure,* ian alternative Labour never seems disposed to face, probably would produce better results. GROWTH OF EXPENDITURE, j In thiff 5 (cdnnhetion the Taxpayers’ Federation, < Which, presumably takes care to inaffe sure df ; thie: accuracy'of its figures, presents sofne ' startling comparisons,- These figui’es show that ; on March 31, 1922, four years after the conclusion of tlie war, the public debt stood at £219.054,385, “equat to £l6B 6s lOd per head of the population, while on March 31, 1928, it- bad reached £251,396,252 or £175 Is lid per head of population. During the period between 1921 and 1928 the staffs of the Departments, excepting the staff of working railways increased from 16,908 in number to 20,213. In 1914 a staff of 11,587 catered for 1,053,000 t people, or one public servant evei y 89 people. In. 1928 a sta.ff df 21,260 catered for 1,435,767 people, or ope public servant to every 67 people. In 1914 the cost of administration - Wps £lßl9 for every 1000 people and in 1928 £3,583. Of course the increase in the cost of living haip affected the rate of pay, but this increase does not explain why 23 per cent more employees are • required to-day to effect the same serviepi^as fw|is gi v?n- fourteen yeais ago:- bh: Interesting to learn what has to; say; in regard to these' figures.' election gossip.

Some very interesting gossip concerning the approaching general election is floating about the capital city ust now. Until a little while ago it was assumed in political circles that Sir Joseph-Ward would be unopposed for the Invercargill seat. It seemed a generous- tribute- to-.pay the -veteran successor to the great battalions Mi Seddon left behind him. But Sir Joseph’s tardy acceptance of the leadership of the United Party led the Reform executive to change its mind. “ It may be said,” an authority writes from the South, ( “ that the necessity for a contest in Invercargill has been brought about by the decision of Sir Joseph. Ward to- accept the leadership of the United Party; but no, one will regret a fight in "this" electorate if it brings into the larger field of national politics such a splendid type of young New Zealanders Mr Macalister.” But for the timidity of a section of the Reform leaders probably their original resolution would have been allowed to stand. It is rumoured that in three constituencies, at least, Reform is holding its hand rather than divide the opposition to Labour. This was the case in two or three instances at the last general election,, and the public still/ is wondering how the arrangement WOl4cecf.;"y.;E - “ ■ rrr- . .y,- - - :