ARGENTINE TAXATION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 40, 12 February 1912, Page 3

ARGENTINE TAXATION.

JOIE DEAREST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. In Argentina (writes a South African correspondent) private enterprise get's the widest scope. Everything there is left to .the capitalist, either the local or the foreign, The’ railways are mostly all , foreign-owned; the very ports (with ,thc exception of Buenos Ayres and La Plata) are owned hy foreign capitalists., ; and they levy a toll on every bushel of grain that goes out of the country. The water supply of the cities (except the city of Buenos Ayres), .the drainage, the lighting, the tramways, the telephones, and very many of the telegraphs are all in private, hands, and as a result the public are almost as badly served as it is possible to be, while the cost of each, in proportion to the services rendered, make Argentina one of the dearest countries on earth to live in. Wages are steadily falling, while rents are going up in an alarming manner, and it looks very much as if a crisis could not he long delayed. The system of taxation, national, provincial, and municiual, plus the heavy tariffs charged for all services (which are in New Zealand looked upon as public services) are steadily but surely bringing about an economic position that will have a serious effect on the commercial and labour section of the community. A Bill isi before the House hero to alter , the system of taxation. To-day the system in vogue is to tax every article of food and clothing, whether it comes from foreign countries or from the Argentine provinces. Tho city |of Buenos Ayres collects a tax on evqr,y side of bgcon or dozen of eggs that Comes in from the outside provinces. The governing group evidently hold that foreign bacon, eggs, and potatoes, : as they pay Customs duties get an preference over the Argentine products, as the Argentine product • has to pay at tho city gates as an octroi or cisa, a sum about equal to the import duty. But tiiathisdnot all, I ''every merchant has a patent or license to take out, just as do, the hotelkeepers in New Zealand. ,An importer will pay equal to £2O or, £3o,' as the case may be, a retailer £4O to £SO, a. wholesaler £SO to £IOO. On top of this each cart a merchant employs pays £2 or £3 per annum, each windowshade used by a butcher to keep the sun off bis meat pays £1 10s; every advertisement on the city walls or hoardings pays Is 8d per square yard per month (except when the advertiser pays a bribe to the official and that worthy forgets to collect the account). Every truck of vegetables, every box of eggs, fish, every 101 b of meat, all pay a tax. Hence we arc here overrun with the tax collector. Every motor pays a license, every engine a special permit, every horse has to have its guia, or letter of identification, setting out brand, etc., on a. paper, carrying a stamp worth Is Sd. Every milkman has to go his round armed with his license in his pocket, as also even to tho vegetable man. Tho police are on the hunt the Whole time for infringers of the law. They get 20 per cent of tho fine, so every milkman is hfiiled up by every new bobby, and he has to stop and produce his papers and if the beats are changed tho poor milkman or grocers’ carts have a groat time. They lose half their time proving who they are. If one' forgets his license he is likely to fare badly. A commercial traveller not long ago was asked for his license. He replied that it was in his bag at bis hotel. He, Was marched off the lock-up and kept there all day. That night his bag was brough from tho hotel and the license produced. Result, fine of 200 dollars, or £lB, for not being able to produce his license when called upon. When the police are hard up they can here soon find the money to provide for their salaries and they do. Whop the municipal coffers are empty, especially in the country towns, the methods of raising tho wind are as varied as they are irregular.