The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1918. REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE.

Taihape Daily Times, 12 September 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1918. REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE.

(With which is Incorporated The foihape Post and WalnwiU-ao News).

In a cursory look through the revenue and expenditure figures recently published- by the Hon. Mr. Myers, Acting Minister for Finance, one notices the continued upward leap of indirect taxation. Under present circumstances very much should not be said on either side of the question, but; it must be obvious to every taxpayer that to raise to a highly profitable revenue producing status such public services ;as railways and posts and telegraphs we are taxing the indigent on a precisely similar level with the millionaire. In this connection we were somewhat astounded a few days ago to learn that the Mayor of Wellington, who is also a Member of Parliament, was publicly insisting that public services should be made to return a profit of eight per cent. He was speaking in connection with the Wellington Tramways at the time, and as railways are akin to tramways it seems that by the huge upward trend of railway fares and charges, the Commissioner of Railways, urged Oh by his master, the Minister for Railways, is also a disciple of the high-profit-earning doctrine. If public services are to be made to pay eight per cent, profit, it need not be remarked that the masses have to find the money; no public service will pay where only a few rich people are concerned. In fact, we have ample evidence in this district that, despite the huge burdens laid upon the mass of users of post and telegraphs, the Department refuses to take on a paltry loss of about £2O a year in giving a mail delivery two or three times a week in a closely-settled, highly productivedistrict only two or three miles from the Taihape borough .boundary. Settlers who went on the land as pioneers must drive into Taihape whenever they have business or other communication to make with what to them is an outer world. The point is that the Government is using a public service, not as a public service, but as a revenue-producing machine. We contend the principle is wrong, ibut it is only incidentally referred to now, having been brought under notice by the large increase of indirect taxation as evidenced in the revenue and expenditure returns just published. In the five months to 31st 'August revenue increased by £765,961 over the similar period last year. Railways, in the five months, produced an increase of £240,189; Posts and Telegraphs £162,564 and Customs £53,755. The expenditure under these three headings increased only ,by £212,492, clearly -indicating that public services are being made to pay the additional outlay in interests', pensions, sinking funds, civil list, and such like. In fact, the Minister, in his comments, emphasised this in saying the increase in expenditure is greater than the ratio of increase in revenue. This, he says, is expected because of the increase in the interest and sinking fund and pensions. While there is a deficiency of £1,124.934 in revenue, two public services, Railways and Posts and Telegraphs, produced an increase of over three-quarters of a million. The people have to consider the advisability, also the justness of levying from the masses toy indirect means huge profits from such public services to meet the increasing demand in interests, sinking funds and pensions brought about as a result of the war. In the very near future soldiers,' dependents, poor people, including the indigent, will, by the high profit-levy-ing scheme in connection with railways and Posts and Telegraphs, be compelled, after fighting for their country, to provide a great portion of 'the .money absorbed by pensions, as well as contribute out of all reasonable proportion to the payment of in-

terests on war debts. "The public services, it seems, from the five months figures the Acting-Minister of Finance has published, are being prostituted to mere revenue-producing concerns. The profit the Post and Telegraph Department has made during the post five months certainly warrants a. paltry £2O a year-being spent in extending mail facilities twice a week to a closely-settled small district like Ngawaka, where men have been shut in for the past 20 years. On a broad principle it is absurd, as well as grossly unjust to levy huge profits' on trainand post -offices.