LARGE FAMILIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 May 1920, Page 5

LARGE FAMILIES.

"PLENTY OF CHILDREN WANTED." MORE EXEMPTION FROM TAXATION URGED. (From Our Own Correspondent.) , . Stratford,-May 13, . "nat in view of the urgent need of increasing the population of the Dominion, by encouraging larger families, the Government be urged to increase the exemption from income tax from £25 to £SO, for each child of a tax-payer earning over £3OO per annum, and that the amount of the exemption be free from special as well as ordinary taxation," was the text of a motion bv Mr. Percy Thomson at the. meeting of the Stratford Chamber of Commerce last night. Mr. Thomson said that what New Zealand needed most of all was a native born population and something better should be done for the parents of families.

The chairman (Mr. ,T. B. Richards) remarked that there was no doubt that with the present cost Of living the man with a family needed greater help. At the same time lie doubted if the birthrate would be much increased by granting exemptions of income tax, because it was usually the case that the poorer the people, the larger the families thev had,

Mr. S, Maealiater agreed with the proposal as it stood, but thought it was not in the direction of helping the people who most deserved assistance. The man who paid income tax was usually able to bring up his family in fairly good circumstances, but it was the man with the lower wage who was having the hardest struggle. Something on the lines of the Dunedin proposal to grant a cash bonus to parents with lower incomes, was more necessary. Mr. W. P. Kirlcwood remarked that Stratford had increased its population more by birth-rate than any other means. Mr. Thomson contended that, his motion was on the right lines- What was wanted was not only plenty of children, but children of the right kind. The motion was carried unanimously.