THE TAXATION COMMITTEE

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 190, 9 May 1922, Page 9

THE TAXATION COMMITTEE

FIRST MEETING YESTERDAY EVIDENCE TO BE TAKEN The committee appointed by tho Government to consider tho taxation system of the Dominion held its first meeting in Wellington yesterday. The members of the committee are as follow:—Representing Chambers of Commerce : Messrs. Edward Anderson, accountant, Auckland; Walter Gow, hardware merchant, Dunedin;. W. D. Hunt, of Wright, Stephenson, and Co.. Wellington. Representing Farmers’ Union: Messrs. E. A. Campbell, farmer, Wanganui; A. Leigh Hunt, Wellington; J. Bitchener, M.P., Waitaki. Representing Sheepowners and Farmers’ Federation: Messrs. W. Bar- ' ton, farmer, Featherston ; Bernard Tripp, South Canterbury. Representing Law and Accountants: Messrs. T. S. Weston, barrister, Wellington, and E. W. Hunt, accountant, Wellington. Air. D. G. Clark (Commissioner of Taxes) will be present throughout the sittings. Mr. W. H. Phillips, of the Tax Department, is secretary. The members of the committee met at the Parliamentary Buildings at 10 a.m. The Prime Minister (Air. ALnssey) attended and addressed the committee briefly. 1 Sir W. ”D. Hunt, of Wellington, was elected chairman. After a discussion a sub-committee was appointed to draft an outline of the work to be undertaken by the committee. This sub-committee reported as follow’s: — That the functions of the committee are to inquire into: 1. The taxation of tho Dominion of New Zealand in all its aspects. 2. The effect of existing burdens of taxation upoij the general prosperity of the Dominion and the directions of change, x if any, that are necessary or desirable in the interests of this coun-, try, 3. For the purposes of the above inquiry the committee will require information from Government Departments as to tho revenue and expenditure for each year since 1913, and also the systems "of taxation in force in other Eng-lish-speaking countries. The committee will hear considered evidence and suggestions from representatives of the producing, industrial, and labour organisations, and other classes of taxpayers; such evidence and suggestions as far as possible to be submitted by type-written statements in triplicate. The report was adopted by the whole committee and was approved of by the Prime Minister. . ' . In order to give time for preparation of evidence by organisations desiring to give it, and also for the preparation of' the information required by tho committee, it was decided to adjourn on Tuesday evening until Tuesday, May 23, at?; 10 a.m.