TAXING BUSINESS MEN.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 July 1916, Page 7

TAXING BUSINESS MEN.

MORE THAN A FAIR SHARE. EXPORT TAX AGAIN URGED. Auckland, Wednesday. The taxation proposals in the Fiimneo Bill were discussed yesterday by Mr. E. Anderson, president of the Chamber of Commerce. In his opinion, sev- •• 'in. proposals will be criticised by ' ,<resenlatives of commercial inten .' '•The members of the Chamber of Commerce will have an early opportunity of studying the details of the Bill," 'said Mr. Anderson. "While they will no ■ lmibt realise that the proposed taxation will bear very harshly in some directions, they will, at the same time, recognise ! Uat money must be found to meet th« financial needs arising out of the war. iny criticism that may be levelled at the measure will, therefore, merely be in the direction of remedying injustices in cases where a remedy is possible. "I have no hesitation in stating that a strong feeling exists among the commercial community that the business "".11 is bearing more than his fair share <•' '-.■' extra taxation imposed last year, n .lie shape of evlra stamp duty.on letters, cheques and forms of receipts, extra i'lm'«e> mi telegrams, etc. Throughout the Dominion, there lias been a persistent demand for a war tax on exports, - not only from the commercial classes, but from the "public, and also from a section of the farming community. So far the Government has not acceded to this demand, but the fact remains that the producer is the man who has been the chief gainer by the war. Take wool, for instance. A penny on every pound of wool produced in the Dominion would yield about £1,000,000, and this, in numerous eases, would be only one-fifth of the amount by which the value of wool has advanced since war was declared. The values of hides, sheepskins, butter, and frozen meat have all largely increased solely as a result of the war conditions. The collection of an export tax would be a simple matter compared with the trouble and the expense involved in the preparation and in the checking of the complicated income tax returns rendered necessary by recent legislation. "There will be a general feeling of disappointment," Mr. Anderson added, "that the Minister of Finance, Sir Joseph Ward, has not heeded the request for a rebate of taxation on money that has already been donated for patriotic purposes. His decision will, I urn afraid, have the effect of largely closing the stream of generosity which has assisted the Government to the extent of over £2,000,000. Apart from the consideration of fairness and equity, the attitude of the Government is really prejudicial to the interests of the State. Instead of levying a heavy tax upon those who have not contributed to the patriotic funds, the Government proposes t» penalise those who have done so."