WELFARE LEAGUE'S PARABLE

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 63, 11 September 1924, Page 3

WELFARE LEAGUE'S PARABLE

ITS APPLICATION TO TAXATION-.

10 THE EDITOR.

, Sir,—The Welfare League . recently '- wrote a short, parable relating how the" ■' mhabxtants ■of the "Ever " Present'-'-''" country, carried away by the-persuasive :-- .eloquence of .Socialist : Economists: - begau": "^'^ to consume the surplus. .com.-Avhicli.;!;; hitherto they had.:..always carefully •-: stored for seed. The result, as shown hi-•• .tne-story, was famine, owing to the ;:: smaller crops. The .truth .of the parable". " must be plain to every thinking man-:" J yet the Socialist policy, of .using up tha"-" seed, corn instead of preserving it for:"": tuture production, is still advocated' and ' no better instance of this can be found ""; than m the speech of Mr. H. E. Hoi---land leader of our New.Zealand Social— '■::. ist Party, on the proposed reduction of ' ; taxation. .•■-'- „.',. ;..:.. „ . :,-~

The seed corn in the Welfare League's " parable obviously represents, the riai'-'----tional savings out of income in our pre- ' sent-day civilisation,:.. The thrifty- man"' .will always put away.a little ofW. ln-V .;■ come to provide against the future, even->• it by so'.:doing he hasi-to forego- a- few "■■ ~" luxuries for-the moment, .--These-accu--cu-mulated savings, whethfer from lariv-e 'oi"" " small.incomes,■ Become the capital which/- 0' is to produce further necessaries' of life" ■ .-' and extend our industries. These- savi': j; ings are our seed corn, and all forms of'" taxation make inroads on our store t i Air- Holland,is : reported to have "said that the party he, leads, did not_agree.. that taxation reductions-were necessary-- 7"" he advocated that while:..the .. country:.', needed at- once housing;: ■pensions' for"'? old age and the blind, public ' health such^ as maternity; nursing,- and childrens welfare, provisions for imemploy- - " men., education,; etc; and increasedsal-- ~ anes for Public servants to pre-war purchasing, standards, 'taxatio'ii should '. .-<- ---not be reduced. .Now, what: d6es this ' mean-in plain .English?. Itmeans '-that our seed corn, in the shape D f Ravines '■■ from surplus income, is not. to -be de-; ■■: voted to future; productive" use . but' is to be .drawn upon,, by taxation' for &>■- mediate and unproductive .consumption:- - High .taxation for: unproduaive- Stata"•" activities1 must, lessen v- andrtake- aw a y ;, from the national ..wealth;" because^ &'-■".-' prevents the natural accumulation of'" surplus income; which provides-'the"" capital required for increased industrial ';: and" farming production.'.,:. Therefore the lower the taxation 'the. ff realer- the amount of wealth available for use and ■ the more, prosperous the whole '"com-"-*"' mumty ; yet the Socialist 'says '-'N^ver mind the future; draw upon ouf-^eed—' corn for present consumption, by keemn" up our taxes."—l am, 'etc., ■ ; P.- a - OOMMONSENSE.

Herefcannga Lodge, No.lllS^XO.O F It f ,held I. ts fortnightly nieeting- (third) W i n* 'S? 6' Thn«day evening Bro" W. J. Groudin, X.G., presiding. There was a large attendance- of -members and >' vuiling brethren from kindred city lodges, lhree candidates were initiated i>i regular form, and another nominated. : S^iidug and social, committed .wei-a-:-ceded, and routine business conducted. r ■?' c f° T l' tnje h"r nieeling ofZeakndia Lodge No 48, 1.0.0. F.,: N.Z., was . held lhursday evening, Bro. .A:. Christie ■ , A. After completing busil ' ■ ness, the lodge held a "brotW eve Xi g, members and visiting brethren.-from"- "■ MiKlj-ecl local lodges participatinß^in 000, connnun.ty choruses. He. Biw .■ unan and Evans also rendered item-" r