TAKING A GRIP.

Auckland Star, Volume 246, Issue 246, 16 October 1926, Page 9

TAKING A GRIP.

QUEENSLAND'S LOSING CONCERNS.

TAXATION IN ALL DIRECTIONS

GOVERNMENT INSISTS ON

DISCIPLINE,

(By Cable.—Press Association.—^Copyrignt.)

(Beceived 02.30 p.m.)

BRISBANE, this day,

In the House of Assembly, speaking on the proposal to increase stamp duties, the Premier, Mr. McCormack, said he found himself in a very difficult and awkward position, as the Treasurer must obtain more revenue from somewhere, and to do that he proposed to increase the stamp duties and bring the new instruments within the ambit of those duties. Necessity compelled him to impose new taxation in every direction nossible.

The Premier said he had asked the Departments to curtail their expenditure, and they had adopted a policy which would not continue to lose the taxpayers' "money- upon ventures which were unprofitable. If the people whom they set out to serve would not give the social sen-ice that was necessary to make a success of those ventures, then there was no policy left but for the Government to abandon those particular things until the people wer* willing to give that social service which was so essential.

All the blame, added the Premier, could not be put on the men who iad worked those industries. The direction had been bad. People who had been charged with carrying on these concerns had not done their duty to the State. The position had been brought about largely as a result of the condition of the railways, which were caused by circumstances over which the Govern, ment had no control.

As far as the railways were concerned, inefficiency and lack of discipline existed. The Government was going to see it got efficiency and discipline. It seemed to him that every Government was faced with the problem of. making good from the general taxation losses on the great transport service which was State controlled.