The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 1920. INCREASING CLASS DISTINCTION.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3468, 23 April 1920, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 1920. INCREASING CLASS DISTINCTION.

With which is incorporated “The Taihape Post and Waimarino News.”

hlndustrial and social conditions are much more grave at the present moment than many people have oognisance of. The British “Labour Gazette,” has published the fact that wages: are 120 per cent higher now than in pre-war times, and yet there iis hardship and deprivation invarious jsections of lablour as wellas amongst» Ithe lower middle-class people. Money I is urgently needed by, the British; GovJerilmen.t,. as disclosedby the Budget‘ speech delivered in"t‘he Hause of Comirnonsaa few days ago. The British Cabinet, by itsadjustment of taxation, ‘discloses that -it~is fullycio-nscious of ‘the trend of riches, and it is following .those riches up for the purpose of compelling them to provide an increase of taxation. ~‘-The owners of those riches may have to pay a super‘tax on incomes and a graduated tax on profits.’ If they will profiteer they must share their loot with the Government, w-hile none are deceived about ‘where the profits come from. It simply means that Government is taxing the masses per medium of the‘ pr£cfi_teer; they are imp-overishing the poor _to allow -profiteers to grow filthily rich so long as the .pl-ofiteer does not seriously object to some ..being taken for governing purposes. It is plain evidence that the commerciulist kings in Parliament will consent to no inlcrease of taxation that is to come out [of their pockets. The'Budget is also calculated to create a great gulf be‘tween rich and poor, virtually aiming ‘at class distinction only equalled in ifeudal times. The wine duties are doubled, and a special duty of 50 per cent, ad valorem, is placed on sparkling wines. Income tax is payable on la married man ’.s wage of £5 a week, land on a single man’s ‘£3 a week. iFive pounds does not constitute a; living wage for a man with a moderately sized family, yet he must pay‘ income ,tax. Duties on wines will_ render Twines unobtainable by men drawing taxable wages; wines will become only possible to the rich, and as the duties: on beer and all spiriti‘uous liquors are largely increased, one {is made to Wonder whet-her Governiment is’ intent upon forcing prohibiution upon the people by legislation not requiring‘ a popular mandate, or whe-I ther it is bent npion the institution of a privileged class of rboozers. Legislation that tends to increase class distinction, no matter ‘how desirable such class distinctions may be considered, is going to create trouble; it is going to leave a legacy lof discontent and resentment that is calculated to shake the very foundations of society. Business-like reconstruction is impossible; the evidence fully warrants) the assertion Why super-tax incomes? Why put a graduated tax on profits? Why render wines out ‘of the reach of the masses‘! To restore‘ industrial rest and contentment why: not limit profits and so make unneces- ‘ sary a super tax on incomes? Why go on risking revolution by depriving the ‘ masses of those necessary things the! rich have perfectly free access to? Why keep reconstruction of industry back by causing labour dissatisfaction and discontent while a. limitation of profits would render living conditions of a more equable character amongst all classes? Coming to New Zealand:' Railwaymen will undoubted. ly insist -upon such remuneration as

will enable‘ them to live reasonably,

and Government sees no other way out of the difficulty than to increase taxation and railway charges» ‘The process of handing money to the‘ worker with one hand‘ and taking it from him with -the other does not appeal to discriminating people as being in the category of business .SI€"iUS; it rather savours-of graft The Simple fact is! that the price of life necessities have been boosted up ilnmeaSurably beyond the power of money in the hands of -the people to Dlll'CllaSe.~ and there must be some honest reconciliation of the value of necessary commodities with the value ‘of money. At present they are out of normal proportion because men who exchange them are allowed to take outrageously, dishonest profits from both. There is nothing complex in the problem that needs solution, if honest, capable 1119“ are put to work on it The‘ law is administered so that it fines one man £IOO for taking a profit of 60 Del‘ cent, and lets another go stainless who levies a profit of £IOO, both on }articles "required by balbies. The theorum is set up that the fail‘, legal [retail price is governed not by 00st to the dealer, but by what is understood by the market value, although [the -actual cost was one shilling and the market value 20/. This means that wool purchased costing fourteenpence in New Zealand, is manufactured in New Zealand, and its market value is what it would fetch in the ibondon market which is governed by prices: obtainable in Germany, rendering the man‘ in New Zealand, muo grew the wool, on no better purchasing basis than the world peace break-[ing-Germans are. This market value is urged as a proper, correct, and [honest price to charge, and as woolilen manufacturers have considered themselves bound by the market value, it is realised that the findings of the British Profiteering Commissilon apply equally to New Zealand woollen manufacturers" as they do to the manufacturers in Britain who have been taking over 3000 per cent land yet have not rendered themselves !liable "to prosecution for illegal ex’tortion§ It is beyond question that if ‘unjust, extortiion were put a stop to industrial troubleswould soon‘ vanish, lbut while_Governments will] not, dare loot’, or ‘cannot effectigely- oppose jthemselves to the pforcets of extortilon, lthe troubles -of the -people are. only lremovalble by the people themselves ,Presumably, the New Zealand G«o4ve_rn{ment will take its cue for new taxa'tion from the British Government with all its dangers to-social peace, for it is beyond belief that any extension of class distinction will be tolerated by the educated people of this young country, which a few profiteers are involving in the maelstrom of trickery that is obtaining in Europe.