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Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 247, 21 November 1914, Page 8

Speaking in the South some months ago Sir Joseph Ward committed himself in an ! unguarded moment to the statement that j the present Government had increased [ taxation by 10/3 per head. 'When it was pointed out to him that it was not true, and that he had made the mistake of including some of the taxation raised by the Liberal Party, Sir Joseph promptly modified his charges. Yet at Kangiora last night he lapsed again and told the Kaiapoi electors that taxation was now 13/1 higher than it was in 1911, the inference being obvious. It is perfectly true that for the year ended March 31, 1911, the taxation per head was £4 16/11, and that for the year ended March 31, 1914, it was £5 10/- per head, showing an increase of 13/1, but Sir Joseph Ward knows as well as anybody else that the present Government did not take office till July of 1912, or 15 months after the date, from which he starts his calculation. In that 15 months, under the Liberals, taxation went up by 6/3, or nearly half the increase which Sir Joseph is endeavouring to saddle his opponents with. It is difficult to find excuses for this sort of thing. A party leader ought to be above it. What can be expected of the rank and file when their chief deliberately goes out of his way to misrepresent actual facts and figures for party purposes?