The Process of Paying Out Truth

NZ Truth, Issue 1143, 27 October 1927, Page 4

The Process of Paying Out

Truth

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1927

UOSTILITY to taxes is in-bred. The grumbling taxpayer always regards the necessity for payment of tribute as an intrusive move, more or less unwarranted, of the Government into, his private affairs. Despite all that may be said with regard to the financial requirements of any Government and that m certain instances its activities add materially to the productive activities of the people, every tax makes some change m the order of things. The individual who pays the tax may, or may not, bear its burden. He will make every, possible effort to shift the load to other shoulders, carrying only so much of the weight as he finds it impossible to avoid. Thus the. salaried man and the wage-earner is m the unfortunate position of being forced to pay, not only his own, but a share of his neighbor's tax — if the neighbor is m a position to pass it on. I In one sense the payment of tax is optional. By abstaining from the consumption of certain articles, such as beer and tobacco, the wage-earner can avoid a proportion of indirect taxation. Unfortunately the cure may be considered worse than the disease. One may recall the gratitude of the English people m a popular ditty of the nineteenth century : "And so let us sing, Long live our king, for abating the tax on beer. ' ' Perhaps Minister of Finance Downie Stewart will consider the opportunity to revive this cheerful chorus during next election campaign. On the other hand he may continue the resolution to live within his income even if he has to borrow to do so, and thus bridge the gap between ordinary revenues and expenditures by the proceeds from public loans — which is merely making good at the expense of the taxpayer.