Meeting opposes book tax

Press, 8 July 1982, Page 1

Meeting opposes book tax

An informal meeting of Christchurch booksellers, authors, librarians, and publishers this week called on the Government to reject the idea of a tax on books. "People are signing postcards by the hundreds,” Mr Harold White, a Christchurch bookseller who suggested, the, meeting, said of the campaign to persuade , members of Parliament that a book and magazine tax should not be-introduced. . Postcards with campaign statements are available from libraries and boqk- ■ shops. ■ ’ ’ ■ . ' ' . Mr White said that those at the meeting were "all very uneasy. They feel fairly vulnerable, and ■ feel they need to say something.” A "statement of principle” signed by them will be sent to the Prime Minister i (Mr Muldoon) and to Christchurch' ' members of Parliament. It said that increased book prices because of a tax would lead to substantially fewer books being published and sold to the public, • schools, and libraries. Other countries were removing such taxes and increasing the-availability of books. The statement carried 40 signatures. . -'