Page 6 Advertisements Column 4

Taranaki Daily News, 5 April 1919, Page 6

mm in mm A A\ m\ w W A AAA 4 1 Prohibition and Efficiency League's Leaguers, now give the other side a hearing I The Prohibition Party States: "It will cost £250,00 a year for 39 years to pay the Compensation to the Liquor Trade." That is, that it will cost £9,750,000 in all—and they assume that the Government will be able to borrow £4,500,000, at 4 per cent, per annum— the lender to pay Income Tax—which is absurd when War Loans, free of Income Tax, cost 4% per cent THE REAL FACTS ARE: The Government will be very fortunate if it can borrow at 5 per cent, per annum. The Annual Interest on £4,500,000, at 5 per cent., is £225,000. The Sinking Fund to repay this Loan in 39 years requires that 19s ?d per £IOO be paid each year, or £44,325. Making a total cost, spread over 39 years, of £10,703,675. The Prohibition Party States: " On our present population, this payment means 4s 6d per head, with a reduction as the population increases." They rope in every man, woman, child, and baby, and saddle each with an annual payment of 4s 6d per head for 39 years. THE REAL FACTS ARE: The payers of this sum are not the children, or the babies, or the wife, but the Head of the Family—the man who earns the money to pay the tucker bills. Over 45 per cent, of the people are under 20 years of age; less than half of the population is aged between 20 years and 60 years, and about 7 per cent, are over 60 years of age. About 40 per cent, of the people are married. So that there are not more than 200,000 people who have to bear the whole burden— they will know the cost. The Prohibition Party States: "Careful estimates put reduced Taxation at anything from £1 to £2 per annum per head of the population." That is, that the present Taxation will be reduced from £1,100,000 to £2,200,000 per annum. THE REAL FACTS ARE: That if S. 1.270,000, now received as Customs and Excise Duties, are lost, there is no other way of making up the deficiency than by Increasing the Taxation. Ministers over and over again say they have no money for Repatriation of Soldiers, for Schools, for Roads, and other matters of urgent importance, and which must sooner or later be found. The Prohibition Party States: "By carrying Prohibition, the Income of the Community will be increased by £lO to £ls per annum per head of the population." That is, that the Income of the Community will be increased by £11,000,000 to £16,500,000 per annum. THE REAL FACTS ARE: That the loss of Customs Revenue, now voluntarily contributed by a section of the community, the Local Bodies' Revenue, the principal and interest on the. Compensation to be paid, totalling in all over £1,500,000, must be made up from other sources. About 90 per cent, of the annual production of the country comes from the cattle and the sheep—how they are going to contribute more on the carrying of Prohibition will puzzle most people. * t* And so we could go on. The statements made by the Prohibition Party and the Efficiency > • Leaguers are ARRANT NONSENSE, and are intended merely TO HUMBUG THE PEOPLE. This light and airy way of,dealing with the Finances of a Country which has immense obligations to its Returned Soldiers, and is still undeveloped, amounts to a crime. ELECTORS: Use your common sense and do not be misled by such wild unfounded statements. and Vote for Continuance.