The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 1916. GRINDING THE MASSES.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 149, 27 June 1916, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 1916. GRINDING THE MASSES.

(With which is incorporated The Tai bape Post and Waimarino News,)

It is last dawning upon both city and country (hat the Budget proposals for future taxation are of the same old conservative colour that characterised similar proposals before the National Government came into existence. )With only sufficient time to glance through the financial statement, we expressed disappointment at the incidence of future burdens. It was as clear as day that as prices, governed by what we sold for, and bought at, in the Home markets, were soaring out of reach of the pockets of the masses in New Zealand, while wealth was flowing into, the land at an unprecedented rate. Producers and middlemen are becoming immensely richer and the poor much poorer, inasmuch as one pound 1 of their pre-war wages will now only ; purchase some fourteen or fifteen shillings worth of their needs. .Workingmen and men with small salaries are compulsorily contributing through war conditions—to say nothing of what they donate for patriotic funds —upwards of one-fourth of their total income, while the Budget proposes to tax the get-rich-quick people fortyfive per cent, of their excess of prewar profits. These lucky people, who seem to have the Minister of Finance by the ear, can still go on accumulating fifty-five per cent, above pre-war earnings, while the lowest paid labour in t ie land not only has no share in the booty, but they are to he compelled to exist on a none too libertl pre-war allowance with its power to purchase reduced to a caamity producing point. In vain -we search the Budget for something to benefit the

masses; in every line we find that the mass of consumers are not only to find the money for the war, but they also have to pay so that large landholders and middlemen may rake in huge profits. The more the Government’s taxation proposals are studied the more their unjustuess is evident. Those earning taxable salaries are a very large proportion of our people; they cannot participate in war profits, and yet, in addition to having the purchasing power of their salaries reduced by high prices, they are to be made to pay an additional five per cent, income-tax. But more perplexing is the Government’s attitude respecting their own employees. They seem to realise that those in the Government service must have an increase in wages and salaries to enable them to weather the hard times, but they do not seem to be cognisant of the fact that thi s still further increases the burden of those who are already the only sufferers. Everybody will contribute indirectly towards taxation, but what it should be our duty to stress is the fact that the already rich contributors are to be allowed to accumulate excess profits to the extent of fifty-five per cent, over their pre-war earnings, while the workers’ pre-war pay is reduced to little more than half of its pre-war value, and even that is to be made to pay a five per cent, income-tax. The text, “To him that hath shall be given, and to him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath,” it is understood, members of the Cabinet had before them while evolving and drawing up the Budget taxation proposals. If that is so, we can venture to say that no writer or speaker ever clung to hi s text with more sedulity, with more painful diligence than they have done. It is not necessary for us to assert that the skinning of the masses is not good for any country’s progress—every man with any business instinct knows it. It robs the people of their spending power, lowers the volume of business transacted in provincial towtis, and to lower the stamina standard of the people. This view is abundantly proved in countries where food is difficult to obtain. iWe can congratulate the Government on its report and bal-ance-sheet, but its proposals for future income are of a disaster-working character, and their effect will be severely felt by the workuig classes and by the small business men who depend upon them a s purchasers. It is too a parent that the Government is conniving at the widening of the gulf between rich, and poor, and that they are contributing W their Budget proposals for taxation to the conditions that have been the shame of Britain in the past, but which are to end with this war. Deer parks and shooting estates are to be cut up into farms to enable the country to recuperate;, why should we not follow the Motherland’s example and cut up our huge estates and allow our manhood to thrive where mow otffy sheep and cattle wander..