TAXATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16486, 27 February 1914, Page 6

TAXATION.

The Government organ in Wellington devotes a column of good print to showing that a large part of tho ‘‘increase of taxation” which Sir Joseph Ward in his Winton speech attributed to tho Reform Ministry took place while ho was in office himself. It seems "that the leader of the Opposition really did make a mistake when referring to

this subject on Friday night. Probably the mauner in which the figures are presented in the Year Book was the cause of his little slip. In one table the Customs revenue per head of population is shown for the calender year and in another the total revenue from taxation per head is shown f or tho financial year. Sir Joseph quoted from the latter table and apparently did not notice that it dealt with the financial year, not tho calendar year. The mistake was one which anybody might have made, but the Reformers are such paragons of precision themselves they cannot be expected to excuse the inaccuracies of a political opponent. But the joke of the matter is that the figures have no more to do with the “ increase of taxation ” than they have' with the public schools syllabus. Of course Sir Joseph Ward knows this as well as his critics do and he cannot complain when the “ Dominion ” and the party organs that follow in its wake' use his argument ns a missile against himself. The figures merely show the amount of revenue derived from taxation and this may rise or fall without any alteration in tho taxes. The position is explained in a note attached to the table in the latest Year 800k — published under instructions from the present Government showing the amount of Customs revenue year by year. “It will be seen,” this note runs, ‘‘that after rising'fairly steadily until 1907, the rate fell in the two following years, this being due principally to the alterations in the taril , consequent on the revision of 1907. Since 1909, however, when the rate per head was £2 14s 7d each year has witnessed an increase, the figures for 1912 being £3 4s 3d. It must be pointed out, however, that the increased rate of Customs revenue per head is entirely due to the increase in +he total value of tho imports.” The Liberal Government made trifling additions to the graduated land tax and substantial additions to the death duties, but it made large reductions in the Customs duties in 1900 and still larger ones in 1907. The Reform Government has made a trifling add’tion to tho graduated land tax, but has attempted no reduction in the Customs duties, though this, if Mr Massey’s allusions to the cost of living meant anything at all was a very vital part of its election platform. This is the plain truth about taxation as it is discussed by the Conservative newspapers and it simply shows that the use made by both sides of tho Year Book figures is so much partisan ' pretence.