TO TAX AMUSEMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1505, 30 July 1912, Page 6

TO TAX AMUSEMENTS.

l i A PROPOSAL REJECTED. J — q A novel proposal, suggesting that ft tax t be imposed on the receipts at places ef I amusements, was iliscused at tho Munie cipal Association Conference yesterday. Mr. G. Baildon (Grey i Lynn) moved s the following remit:— j "A tax of, say, 10 per cent, or such other amount as tho Government may " deem sufficient, to be charged on afl ■ ticket admission to places of amusej ment. This tax to form part of a fund for the maintenance of hospitals and relief of distress, and the other ~ part of'such fund to be taken from ' consolidated revenue in such manner, v and in such proportion as tho Govern- ■ nient may determine." The mover said that it was not sug. ) gested that tho man paying the smallest 1 prices for his amusement should be taxed r unduly, but it was a democratic proposal 3 to take from (.he man who could best afford to pay for his luxury, and give to 3 charity. 3 Other speakers referred to the rush of 5 people to ipicture shows, the same people ■ who objected to the payment of eveji tho , most reasonable tax. It was urged that s if a tax of ally ono per cent, were col- ' lected it would make available a large > sum foT charitable purposes. , » Mr. John Fuller (Wellington) gave tho l other side of the story. It was the opinion t of many people that travelling companies, ■ who were lucky enough to secure huge ' houses, necessarily made a great deal • of money. But they had to spend a great < deal in rents of theatres, boarding and • travelling expenses, and advertising, and " their profits were sometimes not pheno- ■ meaal. A tax would also fall very heavily . on struggling showmen, of which there ' were not a few. Ho gave it as his opinion also that the picture business was being so much overdone that many of . the shareholders in the ventures would bo sorry people presently. In. any case, propriekrs were liable to income tax, and it was' inequitable to impose this special tax. ' Mr. W. B. Scandrett (Invercargill) opposed the remit on .the ground that tho tax would be very difficult and expensive ' to collect. Tho motion was lost.