THE BUDGET.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17807, 5 July 1923, Page 8

THE BUDGET.

STOCK AND STATION AGENTS' MEWS.

A stock and station agent madß the following comments on some of the proposals contained in the Budget, Begarding the remission of income-tax on land, he thought that this waa quite a wise proposal. The computation of this tax imposed an enormous amount of work on the Department, on private individuals, and on accountants, in order to try to arrive at what a farmer's income-tax on land really was: when it was ascertained it was often found that there was little to collect. The amount of work iuvolved was something prodigious, and in many cases the exemption the farmer got ft 9 against his land-tax more than wiped out the income-tax he was liable to pay. Consequently, the remission of income-tax on land was quite a wise proposal. The laud-tax was more easily collected, and in normal times the same end was attained by means ■af land-tax, except under the conditained by income-tax. The collection of land tax, except under the conditions ruling two yeara ago whan in many cases farmers were unable to pay, was not a serious mattor. Upon the whole the Budget was) a satisfactory one. As to the increased telephone charges, he was of opinion that in the cases of firms with a large amount of correspondence, the savings made in postages would pay over and over again the extra cost of telephones. Ketarned Soldiers' Viewpoint. Mr W. E. Leadley, secretary of the Christehurch Beturned Soldiers' Association, when approached as to his opinion on the provisions outlined in the Budget for returned soldiera, expressed disappointment at the fact that there had been no mention made of the formation of a War Pensions Appeal Board, but stated that proviaion for the setting up of such a body might possibly bo included in the pensions legislation provisions. Mr Leadley said ho was especially gratified at the Prime Minister's intimation that pensions were to be increased, and returned soldiers were eagerly looking forward to the establishment of the Land Eevision Board which had heen foreshadowed :in the Budget.