EQUAL FACILITIES

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 82, 5 April 1924, Page 8

EQUAL FACILITIES

DAIRY FARMERS WANT,WIDER REPRESENTATION./ „

(IT mEOIUrn—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

:- PALMERSTON N., 4th April.. On, ', behalf of the Dairy Farmers' Union, Mr. P. J. Small, provincial president, has sent a telegram to the Prime Minister as follows :—"Consider it unfair": to producers that Taxation Commission should consist of business men ionl,v. Strongly urge' equal representation, 'as question is of- equal if not greater importance to farmers. Also consider it Unfair to take . evidence in. four', centres only. !Such procedures, would certainly *-ivour business and city men. Strongly urge equal, facilities should be. Riven hy including main inland towns in Commission's itinerary.".'" ■'..:' ■

,In reply, to a.telegram from.the New 'Zealand Farmers'- Union, asking for representation oh the Taxation Commission; ■ the' Prime Minister has sent the following reply from Temuka : "Union may rest assured that agricultural inter-■ests-will. be looked after, and the Commission will-be very glad to. receive any evidence that the Farmers'-. Union decides to put forward." • "i. TO THE EDITOt; ' .-. ;. Sir, —It is only just, now I'haye noticed m the' tail-end'of a letter addressed to you-by "Democrat", an allusion to some remarks "you allowed me to make in your «olymns some time ago concerning the Prime Minister's assertion that Customs duties were ■ voluntary contributions to the -public revenue; .and. therefore, should not be taken into account when comparing the ; taxation imposed in different countries. ' • , ; . , .

"It ought not \o be necessary to point out,'.' your correspondent declares, •'that individual members of the' community only contribute to this indirect taxation to the extent to -which they purchase dutiable goods, and, while your correspondent- apparently assumes that the taxation at the Customs is borne equally by the whole population.-I. personally, am satisfied that I am not call-: ed ujsonto pay anything like the. per ;capita rate of \ taxation, levied at the Customs, for I eschew, in common with thousands of my fellows, all. luxuries affected by the wealthier classes, ,and confine my, purchases withiu the modest limits of my income, ■ dealing, as far as possible; only in such commodities, or local products, upon which the taxation officers have no say." \

flhviou3ly "Dembcrat") means to irobly that by eschewing luxuries and leading the simple life he manages to eva4e tha attentions of the taxation officers, .and so make.his modest income sufficient to satisfy.' all his reasonable needs. It would' be interesting indeed to know how1 he accomplishes tliis feat. I have looked through' the Customs TariiJ Trom beginning to end, but I have failed to find among its "duty free" 'articles ma;terial sufficient for the furnishing of the most meagre breakfast or dinner'or sup-, per table, or sufficient wearing apparel j to satisfy even the most rudimentary re- ■ quirements of civilisation, to say nothing 'of those of polite society. Bread, butter, meat, milk, oatmeal, potatoes, tea, I fruit, jam, wearing appaiel, . woollens I cotton goods, and boots all bear heav" duties,, and I cannot imagine what youll correspondent eats and drmks and wear* if he really does escape the attention of the taxation officers. ■,

'Of course, if "Democrat" has deluded himself into believing that by nsing only local products, "upon ivhich the taxation officers have no say," he is escaping the 2s 6d per .cental duty upon wheat and Hour, tlie 25 per cent, ad valorem duty on wearing appare.l, and. other imposts of the kind, there is no need to disturb his self-complacency. "What we believe, that _we created," the Theosophists say, and faith may be as potent |to maintain a full purse as it is to move mountains. —I am. etc., INDIRECT TAXPAYER . 4th April.