GOOD POLITICS BUT POOR PATRIOTISM.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1922, Page 4

GOOD POLITICS BUT POOR PATRIOTISM.

During the Address-in-Reply debate, the Member for Taranaki deprecated the cut in the civil servants’ ‘bonus when a. gift of many thousands was made to large landowners by way of the rebate on the land tax. This is also the view of Mr. Holland and his party, who, it is quite plain, are seeking the support of the members of the Civil Service who have been affected by the cut. It is necessary to point out that it was never intended that the heavy income tax and land taxes should continue after the war, They were levied during the war and accepted by the taxpayers as part of the price of victory, but when it was over it was generally expected they would be substantially reduced. Nothing by way of reductions, however, was done until this year, when the five per cent, rebate was offered for prompt /-tyment of the taxes. It represented but a very small easing of the heavy load imposed upon the commercial and farming communities, but it was regarded as an earnest of the Government’s desire to lighten the burden as soon as the cost of administration could be brought down. The Civil Servants were awarded bonuses to meet the increase in the cost of living; those bonuses are being reduced accordingly as the cost of living falls. The Government has no option in the matter. Naturally no Government likes cutting down -bonuses or salaries. It is a painful duty, and must r.dvcrs affect it at the election polls. Naturally, therefore, the Massey Government would not have made the “cut'” unless it felt there was no other way out. There certainly was not, and the Government is entitled to credit for boldly facing the position, taking its future its hands, as it were, and doing the right thing by the country. !... Is easy enough to blame the Government and accuse it of making gifts to th-' fat men at the expense of civil servants, but it is more fitting, and certainly fairer, for responsible men to deal with the facts of the situation, and place .heir 21ves in the position of the Government. Then they would be less in ■iiod to play to the gallery. The fact must be patent to anyone who reads and thinks at all that the present taxation in New Zealand is quite unbearable, even with the five per cent, rebate, and is injuring the country's interests in ways that have been p.oviouely widely discussed. It is far higher than in the Australian States, with all their lAbor Governments, and, if continued, would assuredly have the effect of driving capital to where it is treated better. To do it justice, the Government recognised the danger, and hopes to bring down the cost of running the country and grant relief to taxpayers. Had the Government neglected its duty respecting reducing the bonus to conform with the decrease in the cost of living, it would undoubtedly have lost the of the country, yet that is \. hat Mr. and Messrs. Holland and (. wo_ld have it

do. It may be good politics, but it is precious poor patriotism.