THE AMUSEMENT TAX.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 March 1918, Page 8

THE AMUSEMENT TAX.

RKQUEST FOR TCKMEF BY A. AND P. ASSOCIATIONS ivIIXJSTHU'S HKPLY. l!y Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Fob. 27. A deputation representing (lie Council of Agriculture wailed upon (lie Minister of Finance to-day (o ask that Agricul(iiral .-iiid I'aMural Associations should be Vi-lieveil of the pavmcnl of the amusement (ax. 'l'lir president of tlt<> conference Paid the .-i])])lica(iou of (lie (ax to (he associations meant onlv from £ISOO to 221)110 to (lie Government, lint it would force some of the smaller organisations out of existence. The deputation did not ask for the lifting of the tax on sideshows. Sir Joseph Ward,.replying, said the tax cou'd not he altered at present, since the consent of Parliament, would be required, hut if the i-.x -as it a fleeted agriculture and pastoral associations did not produce more than .CloiK) a year, he would be prepared to aivo favorable consideration to the request for its removal, though if the revenue produced was larger, say CIO.OOO, (here cou'd be no question or abandoning it without imposing other taxation in its place. He felt, as Minister of Finance, (hat lie could not consent to the loss of revenue at the present time. He would bo glad, if it were possible, to place all 'taxation on a broad basis, but (he prime necessity was oh-. faiuing (lie millions the Government required. Tf the end of the war should come twelve months hence New Zealand would have to face an increased liability for interest on war loans to the extent of seven millions per annum. People, generally, were responding magnificently to the demands made upon them for war luxation. The .Minister promised to se"" (hat the basis of the amusement tax as it all'ected the associations, was the same in all eases, as (here bad been various interpretatioons of the Act in the past,