TAXATION BURDEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 708, 6 July 1929, Page 5

TAXATION BURDEN

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DISCUSSION ADDRESS-IN-REPLY DEBATE Press Association WELLINGTON, Friday. Taxation was discussed in the Legislative Council today when the debate on the Address-in-Reply was concluded. The Hon. T. S. Weston stressed need of reduced taxation. He advocated ex treme care in expenditure. There was little or no reserve in our taxation system and the effect was apparent when a sudden demand like the earthquake relief was made on the national resources. There was abundant money In the banks, and yet there was insufficient financial elasticity. He maintained that all railway extension proposals should be closely examined before being put in hand. Sir W. Hall-Jones said taxation was a great factor in the unemployment difficulty. He criticised the waste of money in the administration of the Government superannuation funds, and advocated unified control of the education, railways and public servants’ funds. A committee should be set up to investigate the matter. The Leader of the Council, the Hon. T. K. Sidey, said whatever modification might be necessary in regard to the superannuation funds they must he kept within the administration of the contributors. By the time Gis- j borne and Napier were linked by rail there would be no towns in the Do million of the size of Nelson and Blenheim which were not so connected. Un less the time had arrived when, owing to motor traffic and possibly aviation facilities, it was considered unwise to construct any more railways, it seemed to him the South Island main line had n very strong claim for consideration. It was problematical how far the Souih Island main line would be used, but there were many people who ''ouicl prefer travel by rail to a sea voyage. One of the reasons which had prompted the request for a separate South Island Main Highways Board whs the essential difference in condition in the two islands. The principle of differentiation between the North and South Islands had already been emphasised by the allocation of the tyre tax on the basis of the number of motor vehicles in each island. The motion to present an address •was carried.