TAXATION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3845, 15 September 1928, Page 2

TAXATION.

Statements appearing in certain papers, including the “Mercantile Gazette” of August 29, cover figures given by Mr. Winston Churchill in the House of Commons, which allegedly detail the taxation per head in various countries. As published the figures are comparative between the year 1913-14 and 192520. They are given as under: —

In the case of at least two countries (Australia and New Zealand) there are obvious misstatements of fact. The New Zealand figures given by Mr. Winston Churchill show a per capita taxation of £G 3s in 1913-14 and of £l4 Os 9d in 192520. The official figures as supplied by the New Zealand Government Statistician place the taxation pcF head in New Zealand at £5 10s in 1913-14, and £l2 7s lid in 1925-20, not £0 3s and £l4 0s 9d., as Mr. Churchill apparently stated. In the case of Australia again, the British Chancellor’s figures for 1925-20 place the taxation at £9 Is per head instead of £l2 19s 9d as shown by the Australian official figures supplied on page 70 of the “Pocket Compendium of Australian Statistics,” published in July of this year.

According to the “A.B.C. . of Queensland and Australian Statistics” compiled by the Queensland Registrar-General by direction of the Hon. John Mullan, AttorneyGeneral, the per capita taxation in Queensland for 1927 was £l4 15s 2d. The Statesmen’s Year Book for 1927, issued by the New South Wales Government Statistician places the taxation per head of population in that State as £l6 11s 7d. The average taxation for the Commonwealth as shown in the Australian Compendium was £l4 5s for 1927, whereas in the case of New Zealand the per capita taxation was £l2 5s Od and there has been a further drop to £ll 8s 5d for 1927-28. The Australian figures for 1928 are not so far available from the Commonwealth, where the financial year closes on June 30, while our year ends on March 31. It may be of interest to contrast the respective pei capita taxation as it has affected Australia and New Zealand during the last six years. Year Australia N.Z.

As Mr. Winston Churchill’s figures are being used by at least one of the political parties in the endeavour to support the theory that New Zealand is, next to Great Britain, the most heavily taxed of any of the countries listed, and as the “Mercantile Gazette” has stated that the New Zealand tax burden is “more than 50 per cent, higher than Australia,” it seems only fit and proper that the actual facts should be set forth.

1913-14. 1925-26 £ s d £ s d United Kingdom 3 11 4 15 2 8 France 3 7 0 8 5 10 Germany 1 10 8 5 6 0 Italy 2 2 8 3 8 9 U.S.A. 1 7 11 6 1 11 Canada 3 8 3 6 19 0 Australia 3 8 1 9 1 0 New Zealand 6 3 0 14 0 9 South Africa 6 15 4 11 17 2

e s d £ s d 1922 12 5 1 12 14 8 1923 12 3 7 11 19 8 1924 12 6 7 12 8 0 1925 12 13 8 12 3 5 192G 12 19 9 12 7 11 1927 14 5 0 12 5 6