TAXATION OF OFFICIAL INCOMES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 18, 20 July 1907, Page 15

TAXATION OF OFFICIAL INCOMES.

* For the second tine (says the Trans- ' mitter) the High Covft of Australia has decided that ■Oommoa wealth public servants are not liable for tho payment of income tax levied by.tha States in which they reside. Even ij it could be proved that the decision of }he High Court was legally incontrovcrtiils, there would still remain ths question of justice. There is a widespread belief that it is not just. The question is ajked :—"ls: — "Is it right that servants of the ' Commonwealth Qov- j ornment should bo,' exempted, becaus9 ' they have that relationship to tho Government, from the /State taxation which their fellow-citiaon* have to bear? Tho answer is a most decided negative. If tho situation coulq not be altered, the States might consider whether it would not be thsir duty to withdraw from the Commonweal. h servants within their boiindaries somo ,of the rishts which they enjoy in comjuon with their .fellowcitizens who payi Stato taxes i for pxample, the right lo vote at Stato Parliamentary elections. If the dictum, "No taxation withoujb representation" is a sonnd domoerßtid principle, tho converse of it is equally /sound. But tho situation can ba altered. Chief Justice Griffiths suggested two. methods, by either of which, this nu£<ht be done, and in making the suggestion ho produced the impression ! pn . somo minds that he bqliovcd tharo jshnuid be an alteration. The Commonyeqlth Attorney-General and tho several State Governments aro considering thfr -matter, and it may ba confidently predicted that within the ' rmfc tTelvo jf.qufhs the obligations of I Commonwealth ppblio s?rvant3 to pay Str.te fnxatioh will bo placed boyond i all dcubt.