PUBLIC EXPLOITATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 September 1915, Page 8

PUBLIC EXPLOITATION.

■A PATRIOTIC FIRM. j EXAMPLE FROM OHRISTCriUItCII, When tiie special Bill re the prices of mineral oils was before the House o-n Tuesday afternoon, Sir Joseph Ward, replying to a question by Mr. J. G. Coa,tes (Kaipana), said that merchants would not be allowed to add the extra 4d per gallon to the price of oil which they had in stock on the previous Thursday, when the House resolved to increase the tariff. Complaints of such exploitation had ;becn reoeived from all parts of the country, and a Bill would be introduced forthwith to put a stop to the action of those merchants whs had increased the price on stock they already had in hand. (Hear, hear.) This was a war tax, and not a tax to protect lwal industry. As an example of wlial a patriotic firm would do, he read a letter he had just received from the firm of Kincaid3, Ltd., of CShristchurch. This letter contained the following paragraphs:— "When the Budget appeared in last Friday morning's paper imposing a duty of 4d per gallon on the above, there were many thousands of cases of kerosene and motor spirit in the Dominion in free stores on winch 110 duty had been paid. It is usual when a duty is put 011 or taken off an article for the seller to immediately alter the price by increasing or decreasing, as the case may be, to the amount of t'he duty. We look upon it thait this tax is not in any way an ordinary tax, but has been put on for the very special purpose of providing the whreewithal to meet the heavy expenses entailed by sending our boys to the front. They have gone to fight for ug who are staying behind, so that ive can live 5n freedom under our glorious flag, and our part is surely to do our share generously and unstintingly and provide for tleir comfort in every way possible. The putting of this big tax on kerosene and petrol has placed traders in these goods in a peculiar position. If we put on to our selling price this 4d per gallon on the stocks we now hold, it looks to us as if we are robbing the war fund of this amount. On the other hand, if we do not put it on. we are convinced that our stocks will be immediately bought up by speculators and others for the sole pur.pose of pocketing this tax. We are quite sure if we were to make it known that ,we were selling at the same prices we would clear out the whole of our stoek in a few hours. We are, therefore, of the opinion that every case of kerosene and petrol held by importers and traders in free stores on the morning of August 27th should be compelled to pay the Government 4d per gallon, the amount of the duty. "We feci very strongly on this matter. We do not think it is advisable for 113 to sell at prices ruling before the war duty was put on, for the reasons here given, hut on the other hand, we do not want money that seems to us to be simply robbing our boys. We hereby certify that our entire stock of kerosene on the morning of August 27th was 147 eases, or 1225 gallons; we had no slock of petrol. This means that we expect to get 4d per gallon additional 011 the sale of these cases, therefore ou-r extra profit will amount to £2O 8s 4d. This money is not ours. It belongs to the Government and our boys, and we therefore enclose o.ur cheque for this amount. We are quite sure there are hundreds of other traders who are only too anxious to do as we are doing, that is, handing this extra profit on to the Government. "You will have a much better idea than we can have how to apply the following suggestion, which we respectfully presume to put before you. believing it will appeal to you, and which you will also recognise must he acted upon promptly if at all. Eaoli importer and trader in these goods should lie asked to at once miake a declaration giving a true return of all kerosene and motor spirit held by them on the morning of August 27th, and shall pay on same a dutv of 4d per gallon, which has been imposed. Failing to give a correct return, severe penalties should be imposed, so severe that no one would be prepared to take the risk."