INCREASED TAXATION

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22339, 1 March 1938, Page 13

INCREASED TAXATION

TO TEX EDITOR OX TEX PEES* Sir.— l should like to comment on the editorial headed “Increased Taxation,” which appeared in “The Press”

for February 24. “Pensions holidav, g !’„S ensic ? s * or sickness, free nd medlcal attention for ant t?^. y 7' are l objectives ver y Pleasbe but i£ the y to and y ed by enppling taxationwill in 9 re ase m the present rates Sm t SSSs~ these 80011 thinßS wW U ™ ake . a ve f y definite assertion tavatir,n 0U ®n ate t. tbat any increase in # be cri PP lin S- Without . tbe forms of taxation which R the c , oun try to this crippled rend%Jt U surely do not expect your iu CC 4. e yc ?ur unsubstantiated that it will be so. Are you prepared to state there is no section of taxat?on? lUni ty could stand up to extra bought for the improvident at_ the expense of the provident? improvident means the average wage *£ ,ed t worker who is unable to save—the individual who, in order to provide decent shelter, clothes, schooling, etc., for his family, is forced to expend the whole of his weekly or monthly earnings. These improvidents nelp_ to keep the wheels of industry turning by spending immediateW their full income. After keeping the said wheels .going for 35 years, equipping a new generation as well as providing a generation of the future, they are surely entitled to a share of the wealth produced by the new generation when they retire from active participation in the production of wealth, which should be for the benefit of the whole of the people.

As for the provident, those who are ' ab t, 1° sa y e through divers reasons, small families, exploitation of their own children, heritages from a past generation, etc., do you really believe they save money just to keep themselves when they grow old? Will they not welcome superannuation when it will allow them to make use of their savings in the satisfying of their desires. Maybe a trip abroad, or a tour of their own country in order to see some of the wonderful scenery advertised through your columns by the Tourist Department. Persons who work all their days have visions of doing some of the things the more privileged section of the community are able to do In spite of increased taxation. “Habits of thrift will go by the board.” I find the above statement rather amusing in face of the evidence. Apart from the general Increase in Post Office Savings Bank deposits, one has only to cast his or her mind back to those dark years of depression, when under the rule of our Coates-Forbes Government we find the thrifty, provident people were forced to spend the savings of a lifetime before they were given any State assistance, whilst those whom you call improvident, were granted assistance of a kind. This Government has protected the thrifty workers’ savings by allowing him to apply for State assistance when he has a deposit in a bank. Finally, I would say your contention that those who save money are more provident, industrious, and energetic than those who do not save, is debatable, and maybe your contributors to the correspondence column will take up the question.—Yours, etc.. H. R. MACDONALD. New Brighton. February 26, 1938.