WAR EXPENDITURE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 68, 20 March 1915, Page 4

WAR EXPENDITURE.

AND HOW TO MEET It ■ i£R. BEAUCHA3IP"S SUGGESTIOS". • ARGUIIENTTS FOR A CUSTOMS -Wj. EQUITABLE AXD LIGHT, •■- ---"On what basis will the war-tax b* fixed?" is a question occupying a good deal of attention ix the present time, and suggestions for dealing with theetS jeet have been mauv and diverse. Oμ ■that has probably received, more"aitea^' tion than any other. how { ever,'"i 3 tin' scheme propounded by Mr. Harold Beauchamp, chairman of directors ofthe Bank of Xew Zealand, who suggests tie imposition of a light export and import duty, to cease automatically upon, the" completion of the war. or when, the - need for it terminates. >Ir. Beaucoamp arrived in Auckland by thUVinominA express from Wellington, anq a Press- ' man took the opportunity of approach-- \ ing him for particulars of his suggestion; ~ '• Well," said Mr. Beauchamp/ f ju ; l I am not a politician, I hesitate to obtrude r my opinions too much upon the.public of New Zealand in respect aEiht-iaii-dence of taxation; but in a reeeuvinterview I had with a Wellington Prteuoan I simply formulated what I conceited to be a particularly easy scheme'for collecting a large amount of money without inflicting a heavy tax upon «dt particular section of the comnitraHyV EQUITABLE DRAQXIETTAX : : " Personally, I think it would beinoit wise, if possible, to avoid anyfJijfg fa . . the shape of a specific das* tax- or to'" suggest one that ie going, to: entail itlarge cost for collection. Hence .-ay-; reason for suggesting what I might de- ' [scribe as a dragnet tax of on* per «»fc ' on the total amount of export* aad imports which would yield approxiniaWy £500,000 per annum. Thi3 £OJO, aisaming the total cost of the war to he in■■ V the vicinity of £5,500,000 to £6,0004 X», would extinguish the capital eoet ia a term of say fourteen years, whka would be no mean achievement. Iniaukain. • that it would be a ■ most equitaWr ttr conceivable, seeing that each indiridml member of the community would not be called upon to pay anything beyond ■ his means. Take, for instance, tie working man with a family « five children. A tax of one per cent on *■ imports -would, in his case, net eseiii&h-': about £1 per annum. That, I eethml*, 'i: - '■: would be an outside liabilityje his eaje. , ? "I have already, pointed oot thatat!:- :- many cases a tax of one per cent og imports would not be passed on by i». porters, as there are many etandaijw; lines which sell at fixed prices, and iaf porters and consignees would- heeiUta to -alter selling ratei ; when th*jr are only asked to pay an additional on per cent, through the Customer It Iβ obvious that the large; amoiint recowr*.;-..'. able in the suggested tax could be «* . lected without any additional' cbtt whateyer through the cWomB. : .;, OTHER SUGGESTIONS-. CRITICISEn./ ;' "I have," said Mr. Beauchamp, . "»• V I sympathy with the suggestions r-'ttat^;''. have been made to increase the portal charges or to raise a tax through tt* totalisator. and on theatre tic Mfc .•ettbeivao I be in to' ' best r interests ofS'the* community, to.Wp;~crease the income tax or land tax.. : ThM^ 7 -.r'.: to my mind, would throw an sarily heavy burden upon sections d the community, ivhereaeLfeiniiiililiisli; that in times of stress, and when^pry; '■■:'■ national existence is threatened, at classes of the community, whether ttay be the so-called or-iip^r-«ia«BI ; ft;'' j, or the working class,. should ;be ea]fil' :; upon to make a distinct sacrifice. 'Ail: .; it should be remembered that .the.tao: ILv suggest would cease as soon ae* tit... j necessity occasioning it had been eet, j whereas a land and incdine".tai^,er»if:;:'..* : i of- the other-suggested:.-niethodsr.-ef e»> -. lecting- money to meet war would probably continue ac a peniuifoitS- ; incidence of taxation. • ' : " : PREPARED FOR SACRIFICES. "Before the Arbitration Court lington a few days ago, I noticed th»fc Mr. E. J. Carey, acting.for &.&&*&£?.':■ indicated to Mr. Justice - Striager : ttat; the -working class are. already aatkipating some fornTof taxation whick will ;C fall 011 their shoulders. Farmera, : in 1 different parts-of the Doraiieon, -ktM : '.. expressed their readiness' to towards this tax. I iiave ,i^.iJqiM»Si:.s therefore, that" they 'would /WtahSjo:: : pay-1- per cent, "on" export*,* aiinl -I"j*f-JJ." cent, on imports. At the;first may appear hard that they ahould !»*• - to. face prat-tieally a double t*J{. Bα* this would be more apparent then red. seeing that they art v fienetitiag si*;%-■ largely to-day by the they are realising for, all* descriptiia-,... of produce, and I think there is w> depWf >:■;■■•-. that these rates will tie throughout the whole period of ft* **$ ; - and possibly after. At the {Aoa*:Ctit»i ; war it is only n»toraV tpjsuppoef tie* wiil still be a big demand for fodtfjjWfS; ducts and wool for clothing pagppa*aj"i;g; So that, whichever way. youilook'W•* there is a. big likelihood'that thftlafe? -S ing community will benefit..coneidtHJ|fc| :; .: for some time to come."- ' ',