MAORI TAXATION INQUIRY

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26723, 6 May 1952, Page 11

MAORI TAXATION INQUIRY

MAIN ISSUE BEFORE COMMISSION

(Hew Zealand Press Association) _ WELLINGTON, May 5. When the commission of inquiry into Maori taxation opens its sittings at Gisborne on Thursday the large Poverty Bay Maori Trust, Mangatu, the affairs of which will be under examination, will be represented by Sir Wilfrid Sim, Q.C. . The chief point at issue in examining the affairs of the Maori farming trusts, including Mangatu, is likely to be whether the undertaking given by the Labour Government and subsequently written into the East Coast Trust Act that Maori trusts of certain types would not be taxed is still applicable. This undertaking was given because a number of these Maori farming trusts included several hundreds nf private owners of small areas of land. It was argued that although the gross income of the trust might be large and therefore liable to taxation at high rates, the individual returns to owners were so small that they were npt liable to tax. The commission, which comprises Messrs J. H. Luxford. T. N. Gibbs, and i»„ rt ? p ; wlll not be concerned with Maori trust boards such as the Arawa Trust and the Taranaki Trust which administer welfare and general tribal affairs, but only with private . u .<' companies and incorporation. profit 3ol " 1 owner * operatin S for private