STATE FINANCES.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19888, 27 March 1930, Page 11

STATE FINANCES.

POSITION IN NEW SOUTH WALES. EXPENSES GREATER THAN INCOME. (ntITED PRKS« ASSOCIATION —B1 ELECTBIO TELEttRAJ'II COPTBIOHT.) March 26th, 9.5 p-™-) SYDiNEY, Starch 26. The State Ministry's scheme for raising money to help to relieve unemployment by the imposition of a sts ra P tax on all wages receipts JS expected to be on the lines of the P ro ~ posal placed before the New Zealand Government. The State Treasurer, Mr Stevens, when reviewing the financial position, said that even if the Government im " posed some additional taxation its Xl j"comings on the present basis wou )~, n short of the expenses by £4,000,000. ECONOMY PROPOSALS. N.S.W. GOVERNMENT'S SCHEME. SYDNEY, March 26. A definite announcement is now possible that the New South Wales Cabinet will introduce a short measure this session providing that all members of the Public Service shall have their salaries reduced by 10 per cent., and shall also work longer hours weekly. Judges are included in the scheme, which, it is estimated, will save £1,000,000 a year. It is also jiroposed that there will be no annual increases in salaries or new appointments. A Bill to introduce a general 48-hour week will also be brought down, providing that employers desiring that their employees should work longer hours need not apply for the Court's permission. The Government's proposals include the imposition of a stamp duty and a tax on wages, similar to the scheme about to ba considered by the Victorian Parliament, of one penny in the £1 on wages up to £l2 weekly, a flat rate of eighteenpence weekly on wages over £l2 and up to £IOOO a year, and two shillings weekly on each £IOOO for salaries over £IOOO a year. The salary of the Chief Railway Commissioner, Mr Cleary, which was fixed at £SOOO on his appointment, will amount to only £IOOO. He has forgone half owing to the financial depression, £2OOO of this being devoted to distress among railwaymen's families, and £SOO being returned to the Treasury. He will be assessed for income purposes on £SOOO, the tax amounting to £ISOO, leaving a net income of £IOOO. THE RAILWAYMEN'S REPLY. (Received March 26th, 7.55 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 26. Increased hours offer no solution to the world financial depression, and the proposal to lengthen the working week on the railways will not solve the problem facing the Commissioners. This was the answer of the Railway Uniohs to the scheme put forward by Mr Cleary.