STATE ENTERPRISES

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 122, 19 November 1926, Page 11

STATE ENTERPRISES

A QUESTION OF TAXATION DISCUSSED IMPERIALLY. (United Press Association.—Copyright.) (Received 19th November, 2 p.m.) • LONDON, 18th November. The Forestry Sub-Committee's report suggests the development of settlement schemes in connection with afforestation noted by a recent effective Empire organisation, and welcomed the New Zealand and Australian Governments' invitation to hold a third forestry conference in 1928, and recommended active* preparation for participation therein to the Governments of the Empire. The'.'eport referred to the constitution of an Empire Forestry Bureau to the Imperial Conference. Mr. Gepps's appendix to the report emphasised the importance of a continuous production of timber, and drew attention to the possibilities of settling forest workers on agricultural land, sufficient to occupy < them when their silvicultural work had Blackened. It further urges the classification of forest and agricultural lands, together with the proper management of forests for continuous production and a proper distribution of planting, thinning, and selection by suitable men •with reasonable equipment and holdings-

The., Economic Sub-Committee dealin SU_ith uniform taxation of enterprises by foreign Governments, quoted the New Zealand and Australian delegates in making an announcement of their Government's accepted principle of taxation of Government trading enterprises existing by law, providing sufficient authority was given for tho necessary assessments. The Commonwealth Government, however, was unable to bind the States. The Subcommittee considered that a measure of inter-Imperial agreement was warranted, _,especially when negotiating with foreign Governments with a view to concluding reciprocal agreements for mutual taxation of their trading enterprises. TAXING TRADES. Regarding the taxation of non-resi-" dent traders the Economic Sub-Commit-tee reported that it was desirable to divide the manufacturing and merchanting profits, restricting the income tax charges in the country of sale to mcrehahting profit. The same committee, dealing with Mr. Bruce's suggestion for surveys of Empire trade, stressed the advantages of these, and reviewed the existing publication on them. The committee urged that each survey should deal with one trade or group of allied trades as concisely as possible, systematically, condensing the reports, and avoiding duplication of effort. This would probably necessitate the creation of a statistical conference.