BUSINESS NEEDS

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 113, 8 November 1940, Page 4

BUSINESS NEEDS

SOME DECISIONS

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) NEW PLYMOUTH, November 7. A resolution was adopted by the an-, nual meeting of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand tonight expressing appreciation of the action of the Government in calling together the National Economic Conference, approving the findings of the committee and recommending to the executive and to individual chambers of commerce that they take action whereby they can implement the recommendations of the committee. ' Remits adopted by the conference included an appeal to the Minister of Finance to appoint a suitable committee to be authorised'to discuss with a joint committee representative of farming, manufacturing, and commercial interests, proposed legislation dealing with finance and taxation before such legislation is brought before the House. "The Associated Chambers, being representative of a very large proportion of the business community of the. Dominion, andj wishing to co-operate with the Government in these matters, considers that such a widely-represen-tative joint committee could render valuable assistance and advice to the Government. The committee in turn could make its recommendations to the Minister." Other remits carried were:— That this conference reaffirms the resolution at the previous conference asking for the setting up of an intermediary body between the Commissioner of Taxes and the taxpayer. THE SMALL, TAXPAYER. With a view to easing the burden of private citizens in the payment 'of income tax and also to rendering practical service to the State, this conference recommends that wider publicity be given to facilities for payment of income tax, particularly by instalments in advance through the medium of income tax certificates and/or advance payments made direct to the Land and Income Tax Department in Wellington. It is also recommended that wider facilities, perhaps in the form of tax stamps, similarly purchasable in advance, be introduced, thus enabling payers of modest amounts to spread their commitments over a year. That in view of the great amount of time and trouble involved in completing many returns required by Government Departments, the Government be asked in consideration of restricted staffs and increased costs and the need for the elimination of. waste, to reduce its requirements to the minimum. Mr. Gordon Fraser (Taranaki) was elected president in succession to Mr. W. S. Mac Gibbon (Christehurch). The other officers are:—Vice-presi-dent, Captain S. Holm; executive, North Island, Messrs; N. B. Spencer (Auckland), Gordon .Fraser (Taranaki), D. G. O'Toole (Wanganui), A. M. Seaman (Auckland); South Island, Messrs. C. M. Bruce (Dunedin), R. C. Burgess (Dunedin), J. M. Jenkins (South Canterbury), W. S. Mac Gibbon (Canterbury), C. B. Tapley (Invercargill);' Wellington, Captain S. Holm, Messrs. W. H. Hindle, M. G. C McCaul, R. H. Nimmo, Stronach, Paterson, P. E. Pattrick, A. R. Hislop; New Zealand vice-president of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire, Mr. A. G. Lunn (Auckland). It was decided to hold the next conference in Invercargill.