TAXES ON LUXURIES

Hokitika Guardian, 29 April 1930, Page 7

TAXES ON LUXURIES

AIR POLSON'S PROPOSALS

(By Telegraph—Press Association)

INVERCARGILL, Anri I 27

An arresting and somewhat revolutionary proposal for changing the system of taxation to bring about a reduction in cods was one of the principal features •of an address delivered hero la«t evening by Air \V. J. Poison, Dominion President of the Fanners’ Union. Alter stressing the urgent need for a reduction in costs ax the present time, Air Poison briefly discs su'd Australia’s attempt to solve the problem by erecting a higher tariff wall-, lie deprecated the method. We went on to propose what she call'd a better way to reduce the cost of living by removing taxation from Hit u a es.saries of the people, and placing; luxes upon luxuries. Pie would reduce the customs taxation by two mlb ms lie would replace that two millions by-—■

(.) Taxation upon luxuries, such as amus uncnts oi ail forms, from which a leading newspaper estimated that one penny Lax a,ll round would bring in nearly a million.

(■>) By taxation upon the gross liijuot sales of the hotels, instead of tue inequitable and ridiculous £JO liven o fee which the hotels paid, irrespective <:f the monopoly value oi their licenses.

( !) By a tax upon the gross takings of the foreign Picture Corporations whose share of the receipts of. the picture houses amounted ill some instances to as much as 68 per cent. (,») By increasing the totalisator tax by live to seven per cent. The g. mining public, lie said, would pay

this, and it was only right that in a crisis such as that tin country was facing, those who wished to gamble should help through taxation. He apoe.ded to all parties to give his plan impartial consideration.