"THIS FREEDOM"

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 124, 22 November 1923, Page 6

"THIS FREEDOM"

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE CONFER

THE STATE AND TAXATION

YOUNG PEOPLE WITH TOO MUCH

MONEY TO SPEND.

(BY lELEOKAPB—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

AUCKLAND, 21st November

Delegates attending the conference of the New Zealand Associated Chambers of Commerce carried the following remite :— . ;■ .

Wellington.—That the freedom from taxation and rating enjoyed by institutions controlled by the State and local bodies, thus conferring advantages over similar trading concerns in the hands of private citizens, is improper, and it is the opinion of the conference that all businesses should be placed on an equality of footing, and that it should be obligatory that the annual balance-sheet relating to each such enterprise be published ; that all lands owned by local bodies and leased for revenue purposes to persons,-firns and companies, should be subject to land tax on the same basis as privately owned lands; that income tax equivalent approximately, to the average rate paid by companies be paid by all public bodies and Government trading and publicly owned utility uiir dertakings, and the tax arrived at by assuring an income based "on a fixed percentage of the total amount of capital employed.

Auckland.—That the Government be urged to relieve the. present unfairly imposed burden upon the general taxpayer by altering the incidence of income tax in accordance with the recommendations of the Taxation Commission (a) by .the 'inclusion of dividends iri shareholders' individual assessments instead of a levy upon the total income of registered companies, (b) by. providing that taxation upon income derived from debenture securities be the' same as that from mortgages. Dunedin.—That it is inequitable that the graduated principle intended to discourage the aggregation of country lands should be applied to city properties employed in the production of assessable income; that the conferenceis of opinion' that the present railway tariff is unsatisfactory and obsolete, and urges the Government to expedite the and circulation of the proposed new tariff as promised by the Minister of Railways at Christchurch. That amendments be made to awards which gave waterside workers authority to hold monthly 'stop-work meetings dur- [ ing recognised working hours, as the practice was very detrimental to the community. That when any carrier or any person has taken delivery of any package of_ goods from an overseas ship and has given a receipt acknowledging 3uch package to be in apparent good order and condition, but delivers it to the consignee in other than apparent good order and condition, and it is found to have been tampered with or pillaged, the production of boua fide invoices by the consignee shall be prima facie evidence that the contents of the package were in accordance therewith and" the onus of proof to the contrary' shall rest upon such carrier or person. Further remits were adopted as follow ;:— ■ ■ ■■•-■; . :■:: ■■ ■ ■- •_: -„..

Dunedin.—That the primage "dutyshould be abolished: ' ■'

Wellington.—That the executive interview the Minister of Justice and obtain a definite promise of an amendment to the Bankruptcy Act. That periodical visits of British statesmen to the overseas Dominions would result in far-reaching "benefits to the Empire, and that the Government be urged to make representations accordingly to the Imperial authorities. In this connection, representations are also to be made to the British Chamber of Commerce.

Auckland.—That section 166 sub-sec-tion 2, of the Companies Act, 1908, requiring full subscriptions of the original capital of a private company, be applicable Jx> .subsequent issues; that the penny duty on cheques and receipts be reverted to.

WAGES QUESTION DISCUSSED,

The matter of more equitable distribution of wages to confer greater benefits upon the man with a family and other responsibilities was the subject of some discussion. The subject was introduced in a remit by Auckland : "That in view of the fact that tho statutory minimum wage was based upon the assumed requirements of tho married men with two children, or other dependants, and that the responsibilities of three-fourths of wapeearners were admittedly less than the scale adopted was designated to meet. Parliament or the Arbitration Court be urged to consider the possibility of. relieving the, community from the burden of such over-payment, thereby leaving a marginl wherewith to provide assistance for those with larger families." The president (Mr. H. W. Hudson), in moving the remit, said the responsibilities of 73 per cent, of the workers were less than the scale, 11 per cent, were on a level with the scale, and 16 per cent, were over that margin. Many of the workers, therefore, were getting more than they needed, but there was no suggestion that employers- should pay less than at present. Present rates could be retained, if necessary, but they should see that those who were getting more than their responsibilities warranted did something to help those suffering under their present load. Mr. Lunn (Auckland) said New Zealand was going to meet stronger .competition from overseas, aud if they did not look ahead mauy workers in this country would find themselves in tho position of those in Britain. Mr. Stronach Paterson (Christchurch) said the true basis of wages was the value of work performed, and at the present, they were in trouble as the result of the Government adopting an artificial basis. He moved an amendment urging the Government to consider the possibility of meeting the position by a reduction of the income tax exemption to wage-earners without dependants. "Mr. Hudson: "But the trouble v that most of the workers on the minimum wage are below the income tax figure."

Mr. Paterson : "Well, reduce the exemption to £100 if necessary." /Mr. A. Leigh Hunt (Wellington) said young people with no family had far too much money to spend, and the bad mpral effect could bo soen on all sides. If they could bo made to pay income tax they would Jeel they had a stake m the country, and the result would be beneficial.

The remit was carried with Mr Paterson's amendment.

A Hastings remit suggested that the trovernment be urged to pass legislation making it illegal for any body of persons to conduct a ballot on any question which might decide the course of action to be adopted by the workmen of any particular trade, unless such ballot was under the control and supervision of officials of the Labour Department. The remit was lost by 14 votes