CHILDREN AND INCOME TAX.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 151, 22 December 1911, Page 4

CHILDREN AND INCOME TAX.

Various devices exist in various countries where the population, is dwindling or the birth-rate is unsatisfactory to induce people, to .observe the natural law-*" increase ,and multiply"—and although we are among those who believe that no legislative means of any kind can have a'ny effect, if the people do not will, the general remission of a portion of income tax on account of parentage is a reasonable proposition. Xo one could possibly believe, however, that because a man with £SOO a year would be taxed' a few'shillings less per year for each child, he would add the child to save the shillings, but such remissions at least would, emphasise the greater "importance of the family mm.' The fact that people without taxable incomes are not only the most prolific parents, but also produce the children most useful to a State, is often lost fight of, The assumption in every country where remission of income tax is made on account of children is that the people are wilful breakers of the natural law and can be induced to observe it by, a very slight cash consideration. Xew Zealand is pointed out by Dr. Karl Munheim, a Berlin scientist and writer, as; being one of the countries woefully behind, in offering inducements to' married people to become parents, and the sage mentions the very general continental notion of increase of population by decrease of income tax as being an aid to, the solution of one of the earth's greatest problems. We cannot believcthat if Xew Zealamlers with taxable incomes had a small amount remitteu for each child that the increase would be .phenomenal. The supposition-appears highly absurd. But we can understand the- State reducing taxation for each child in the family of parents with taxable- incomes on the ground that every new child is a potential payer of taxes for the futiire. But first get your taxable income. If the hulk of Xew Zealanders waited until they obtained a taxable inconie before they got married the birth-rate problem would be even more acute than it now is.