THE Pukekohe and Waiuku Times PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1916 FINANCING THE WAR.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 210, 19 September 1916, Page 2

THE Pukekohe and Waiuku Times

PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1916 FINANCING THE WAR.

The Official Organ ot . The Franklin County Council. The Pukekobe Borough Council. Tho Tuakau Town Board. The Karaka Road Board. The Pokeno Road Board. The Wairoa Road Board. The Papakura Town Board. The Waikato River Board. The Mercer Town Board. The Manurewa Town Board

"We nothing extenuate, nor let down auaht in malice."

ihe proposal put forward by Cr Lyons at the last meeting of the Franklin County Council that a special "war" rate should be levied over the County to yield £4OOO, such sum to be invested in Government loan certificates, is one that does credit to its advocate even if it is baraly likely to be carried into effect. Cr Lyons' main idea is to assist the Government in recuring the necessary wherewithal to pay the Dominion's share of the cost of the war, and at the Bame time to make a profitable investment fur »ha future advantage ot the ratepayers of the County, since in five years' time the accrued interest on the certificates would mean a total repayment to the County of £SOOO. Koughly speaking, a half-penny rate ovtr tha County brings in £7OOO, so that a little more than a one-farthing rate would suffice to provide the sum required. However, the weak point in the scheme is that unless legislation decreed that a irnihr tax houlil bo

would have just cause for gricvarce if tbey were cjtnpulsorily called on ta pay a war tax, with perhaps their neighbours in Raglan and Manukau Counties, in Pukekohe Bjruugh ana io the townships of Waiuku, Tuakau, Mercer ar.d Papakura, being free of any sach obligation. Further, the effect of the tax would be that the lard would once again be nude the butt for "ra<shg the wind" without valuable ci*y and town property contributing any share. Moreover, as farms frequent 1/ change hands the owner of to-day might reasonably object to paying lor tbe benefit ot the holder of bis Ur.a five yeats bete?. If compulsry taxation is advissble sunly the bist method is for the Government to create sirae new form of war taxation whereby not only the lacdowmr but every member ot the community sboull pay some proportioi in accurda r ce with his meacs.