REFORM FINANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 245, 16 October 1925, Page 8

REFORM FINANCE.

CRITICISED BY MR. LEE. THE INCIDENCE OF TAXATION". At the Newmarket Hall last night the Labour candidate. Mr. J. A. Lee, received an attentive hearing from several hundred people, over whom the Mayor, Mr. S. Donaldson, presided. The speaker dealt at length with the Government financial policy. He emphasised the great increase in the national indebtedness during the regime of Reform, and said that despite the great debt the Dominion had to bear remissions in taxation were given to those who were best able to bear taxation. At the same time the burden on the shoulders of the poorer people had been increased. He thought that the incomes below £1000 were iiufficiently taxed, but an income of £20,000 should contribute 50 per cent to the State. He contended that the basic wage in Xew Zealand was altogether inadequate and the recent increase made by the Arbitration Court was one of the most flagrant pieces of electioneering in the political record of the Dominion. A great number of the workers would not benefit by it for two or three years, when their present awards expired.

A vote of thaaks and confidence was carried unanimously.

Mr. J. A. Lee. in hie speech at Northcote, said that Reform, "a non-borrowing Government," had in 14 years added £154,000.000 to the debt, or f73,000,000 more than all of the Governments put together had ever added. In 55 years of constitutional Government all the Governments added £S1,000,000; in 14 years Reform added £154,000,000.