AMUSEMENT TAX.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 195, 19 August 1930, Page 8

AMUSEMENT TAX.

ONE-AND-SIXPENNY TICKETS.

EXEMPTION ADVpCATED.

FILM'HIRE LEVY QUESTIONED.

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.)

.WELLINGTON, Monday,

A plea for the removal of the amusement tax from the one-and-sixpenny admission .tickets .was .made 'by the Rt. Hon. J. 6. Coates/Leader of the Opposition, during the second reading debate on the Finance Bill in the House to-day.

There was, eaifl -Mr. , Coates,. a; huge amount of-capital involved in the moving picture business, and if .-through overdoing taxation, trouble'was brought to one institution there was .no' knowing where it would end. Some of the. businesses were in a precarious position, and few, if any, were" making'-a.profit, and he seriously questioned the wisdom of

doing anything that would interfere with the revenue from the lower-priced admission tickets. He complimented the Prime Minister, on removing the tax on the shilling tickets, and suggested that he eh.ou.ld exempt also the one-and-six-penny tickets. Dealing with the projected film - hire tax, Mr.. Coates said he had received cablegrams and letters declaring that if the legislation were passed it would b'e the end of British films in New Zealand. The Prime Minister: They are getting a 15 pier cent advantage. Mr. Coates: I don't■ think you realise how serious the tax is. The Prime Minister: They, get 12i per cent off £750. ' Mr. Coates: . Twenty-five per, cent of the total earnings in this country is taken off. . • ■ The Prim e Minister: Most -of '■ it. goes to America. • . , ' • ;••■ Mr. Coates: Does it? Can you, tell? It is only assumed it does. Does thie tax mean we are going to get all the "dud" pictures in the. world? One of the first things we should -do is to see that the pictures are of the highest quality. . ■ ~ • • ■ •