EASY MONEY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 211, 7 September 1927, Page 14

EASY MONEY.

The question of taxation on racing and trotting was mentioned at the annual meeting of members of the Forbury Park Trotting Club. Figures were not mentioned, but it would astound some people to know that last season the racing and trotting clubs paid £666,232 6/3 in taxation, writes "Seutinel." Thisi represents the surplus shown by the estimates of the Treasury Department so that the Government should be extremely grateful for such a heaping of easy money into the Treasury coffers. The racing, hunt, and trottin* clubs' turnovers on the totalisator last year amounted to £8,591,799 10/, and at a modest estimate the -Government has received £5,000,000 in taxation during the past 10 years. If a tax on

profits ran to 50 per cent, it would be eaey to pay, but one on gross receipts amounts'to exploitation rather than fair, taxation, and in fact the Government plays a game of "take-all and no put." It -was- once stated that the revenue of the Railways Department from racing and trotting amounted to about a million per annum, but apparently the fear exists in "the Government mind that it may kill the moa-like bird that lays an annual mountain of gold. ; •■•■'