DOUBLE TAX

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1035, 28 July 1930, Page 12

DOUBLE TAX

NEW PROPOSALS WHAT THEY REALLY MEAN Opinion in Wellington is that the additional racing taxation intended by the Government will benefit the bookmakers more than the Government. The president of the New Zealand Racing Conference, Mr. O. S. Watkins, in the course of an interview in Wellington, said: —“At this juncture 1 think it best to make no statement.” “This came as a blow,” said Mr. H. R. Sellers, secretary of the Racing Conference, when the additional turnover was mentioned to him. “There was no suggestion that it would 2h per cent, taxation on totalisator be imposed,” he added. History Recorded In order to explain the position, Mr. Sellers detailed the present and proposed taxation in the past few years. The first deduction from the totalisator was 10 per cent., and then the Government collected 5 per cent, dividend tax. Of the 10 per cent, the clubs took 7A per cent, and the Government 21 per cent. Thus of the 15 per cent. 7i went to the? clubs and 7£ to the Government. The proposed increase of 2h per cent, makes the first charge on the totalisator turnover 12£ per cent., of which the Government will take 5 per cent, and the clubs, as before, 7i pCr cent. Tax Dividends The dividend tax remains at 5 per cent., making a total charge of 17£ per cent. Of this the Government will take 10 per cent, and the clubs 7i per cent. Thus, each pound invested on the totalisator immediately shrinks to 16s 6d. Mr. Sellers quoted a similar state of affairs which obtained in Tasmania a few years ago, when a charge of 15 per cent, was instituted. This was resented by the public and the clubs and there was a decided falling-off in the revenue Reduction Forced The percentage, when pressure was brought to bear on the Government, was reduced to 12. J per cent., if which the Government takes 2£ and the clubs 10. Out of this 10 per cent, the clubs have to pay all the expense of installation and running of totalisators. From the Tasmanian example it is anticipated that the proposed taxation will result only in increasingly diminished funds for the State.

ANOTHER VIEWPOINT MORE TAXES ON THE PUBLIC Reference to the new taxation was made by Mr. A. E. Sandford, now a resident of Hamilton, at the annual meeting last Friday of the Feilding Jockey Club, of which he is the retiring president. Mr. Sandford recalled remarks he had made at the last annual meeting and said that they had been borne out by the latest taxation proposals of the Government. He could not see anything other than increased taxation for racing clubs. Racing was purely a luxury, and having regard to that fact the totalisator tax was not heavy; it had to be remembered, however, that the taxation placed upon the country in other forms affected the tax returns from the totalisator in that the race-going public did not have the same amount of money to invest. The club should not consider the increased taxation as an imposition because it was the taxation of what could be described as a luxury and the club should welcome any taxation which would help the farmer. Replying to a question as to the new taxation, the chairman said that instead of the club retaining 10 per cent, out of the totalisator investments it would now take 12J per cent., 7J of which the club retained, the balance of 5 per cent, going to the Government. The public would pay the increased taxation.

RACING FIXTURES JULY 31-AuguSt 2—Manawatu R.C. Winter NEW SEASON AUGUST 2—Christchurch Hunt (Rlccarton). 2—Manawatu R.C. (second day). 2—Poverty Bay Hunt (Gisborne). 12, 14, lt>—Canterbury J.C. Grand Nat 23—Pakuranga Hunt (Ellerslie). 23—Hawke's Bay Hunt (Hastings) 27—Dannevlrke R.C. 2S—Dannevlrke Hunt (Dannevirke) 30—Taranaki Hunt (New Plymouth) SEPTEMBER 6—Marton J.C. 13—Otago Hunt (Wingatui). 11. 13—Wanganui J.C. 20—Ashburton J.C. 20, 22—Avondale J.C. 25, 27—Geraldine R.C. 27—Hawke’s Bay J.C. OCTOBER 4—Napier t»ark R.C. 4 Kurow J.C. 4. 6—Auckland R.C. 9, 11—Dunedin J.C. 10, 11£—Otaki Maori R.C. 16. 18—South Canterbury J.C. 18—Masterton R.C. 25, 27—Wellington R.C. 27—Waikato Hunt (Cambridge). 27—Waverley R.C. 27—Waipawa County. 27 —North Canterbury R.C. 27, 29—Gore R.C. 30. Nov. I—Poverty Bay T.C. NOVEMBER I—Banks Peninsula R.C. I—Carterton R.C. 5 Birchwood Hunt. 6, B—Whangarei R.C. 8, 10, 12, 15—Canterbury J.C. 13, 15—Dargaville R.C. 15, 17 —Waikato R.C. 19, 20—Winton J.C. 22—Levin R.C. 22. 24—Te Kuitl R.C. 29. Dec. I—Takapuna J.C. 29. Dec. I—Feilding J.C. HOCKEY RELATIONS MT. EDEN AND THAMES From Our Own Correspondent THAMES, Today. There is a very cordial feeling between the Mount Eden Hockey Club (Auckland) and the ThamesHauraki Hockey Association, and ever since the inception of the latter body three seasons ago regular matches have been interchanged. Last week the president of tin Thames Association, Mr. Crawford Watson, received notification fron Mount Eden that the club had de cided to donate a cup for boy.matches in the association. This wii be most acceptable and go a long wa to assist in popularising the gam among the younger lads. There is already a trophy donated b> Mr. W. Gage-Brown, formerly oi Thames, which is played for annuall\ at Thames between the Mount Lden junior team and the Thames-hauraki representatives (under 20), and this year the game will take place at Thames on August 23, while on the same date a Mount Eden team will play the association’s senior representatives. Keep your old Gillette razor. Cheap shaving.. Double Six British Blades, 12 lor Is 6d. —7.