HEAVIER BURDEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 212, 8 September 1927, Page 8

HEAVIER BURDEN.

FOR POOR TAXPAYER.

GOVERNMENT TAKEN TO TASK

'.A SPECIOUS PLEA. - '

"It is with great regret that the council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce has to express the opinion that the Government is neglectful of the urgent need of taking some steps to assist in removing the present depression in trade, with its consequent unemployment, by making some reduction in taxation, but has rather preferred under the specious plea of a revision of gradation to effect an increase of taxation," said the president (Mr. A. J. Lunn), at to-days meeting of the coun-

"The community has the right to expect that the Government, in face of i epeated representations regarding the burden of taxation, should do as business houses and citizens have had to do—namely, to realise that in time of continued depression it ia their duty 10 reduce expenditure and curtail departmental or other extravagance. Apparently, however, the Government's idea is that any expenditure suggested must be made by further inroads on the pockets of the taxpayers. The time has arrived when the Government must insist on more businesslike and less extravajant habits in financial matters."