High Taxation Main Weapon Of Socialism

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28820, 14 February 1959, Page 7

High Taxation Main Weapon Of Socialism

"As was inevitable, we have all suffered from the economic stress resulting from the Labour Government’s legislation which in the main has had a two-fold objective —first to tax back from the people the hand-outs which constituted the bribe for votes at the elec- , tion. and second the furtherance of socialism,’’ said Mr Wilfrid Owen, leader of the Social Credit Political League. “High taxation is the weapon of socialism, second only to government by regulation without the consent of Parliament, and this has taken a violent leap forward," he said. “This is only to be expected from a Socialist Government which is the dream of the bureaucrat Ministers had to admit that they knew little of the real meaning or purpose of legislation which was drawn up by the bureaucracy for the Minister to sponsor “The danger of this lies in the tact that one day unsuspectingly we will reach the point of no return and be firmly launched on ; the road to communism." said Mr • Owen. Even if the National Party was 1 again returned to office, from their ] past record we could expect little redress, he said One former National Minister, when asked what be would do, said that it was difficult to “unscramble eggs.” 1 Both parties made election • pledges that they would stabilise ’ the purchasing power of wages. 1 savings and pensions, and it is * ominously significant that the < Opposition hafe failed to challenge ’ the Government on this matter 1 and already the cost of living has i increased by about 6 per cent < “It seems obvious that neither s party understands what is neces- 1

sary.” be said "in Labour's election manifesto we find the statement, ‘Labour believes that the State should be the sole authority for the issue of credit and currency.' Further on. the manifesto says. ‘The function of the Government will be to ensure that the banks create sufficient credit for the community's needs This second statement is a flat contradiction of the first, and. moreover, the Government has failed to see that there is sufficient credit for the community’s needs "The issue is simple and is explicit in the Social Credit proposals which are based on the belief that as it is the people who create the nation’s wealth, then the money which should reflect and equate its value oelongs to them as a right. It should oe issued solely by the Reserve Bank and either spent into circulation on things which belong to the people such as public works, or alternatively it should be given to them tn proportion to my increase in production. Money will then be debt free at its source and this is the only way in which spiralling debt can be halted and then reduced. It is the only way by which the purchasing power of wages, savings and pensions an be stabilised." Mr Owen said.

TV and Ihildre: are not incited to violence or antisocial behaviour througb watching crime-drama television films according to a Melbourne research team. But they do tend to develop callousness and indifference to cruelty, outrage and illtreatment. The survey team bases its findings on an examination of children attending two high schools in four age groups from 11 to 17 years.—Melbourne.