DUTY ON PICTURES, ETC.

NZ Truth, Issue 69, 13 October 1906, Page 3

DUTY ON PICTURES, ETC.

TO THE EDITOB.

Sir,— Art agitation is evidently being got up and an attempt will be made when the revision of the Custom's tariff takes- place, to reduce or repeal ' the duty on pictures and other works of art. Why so ? They are merely a luxury whichever way you look at it ; and if a persons is fortunate enough to be able to pay hundreds or thousands of pounds for a picture surely he can afford to pay the duty on it, whatever it may be. As for their necessity as copies for colonial painters, etc., we have, or should have, m this "God's Own Country" of ours sufficient of nature's beauties— human or otherwise —for the work of any artist. As gifts to art schools, societies or exhibitions only it is merely reasonable that paintings and other works of art should be admitted to the colony free. To encourage such work colonially the taxes on material used for executino- the same should not be unreasonable. But . let us have the Ion? promised taxes on the necessaries of life— eatable and wearj able— reduced before commencing to talk of reduction of taxes on luxi uries. At present, asleep or awake, we are taxed.— l am, &c., GRAFTER.