INCIDENCE OF TANATION.

Evening Star, Issue 14226, 27 November 1909, Page 1

INCIDENCE OF TANATION.

TO THU I'DlTOll. Sir.—] Kliould very much like to have another say Jor the purpose of gratifying “A taxpayer's ’’ primary do-ire— i.0., “Why 297,000 workers of Dm Dominion do nob y«y taxes at all' 1 From the compovsiliou of tins question, it must lie readily deduced Diat the question puts it in the, nature of a, “moral protest ” —viz., that the major portion of the adult population of this Dominion should bo exempt from lh» obligation of contributing to the revenue of the country. ]* or the of brevity, ■vnncli will therefore compel me to report to cpiffrimunatic reply, T wish this to jjo home fully in mind, rso jus to huvo mineccGnaiy con traverse.

ii to “ Ti, *PaycrV’ query is that, the .j97,000 odd workers “ not only mipplv all the i evenin', but also (bo major portion of incomes upon which the 11.000 Incomo Tax payers can be legally accredited, but not “ morally,'’ of paying part of panic bv way of Income Tax. That such a elate, ment will appeir rather extravagant to more than “Taxpayer” I have no" doubt, but many statements representing truths have, in all stages of human intellectual progress,’ been regarded as rash, hut the la.dmesft vanishes wlicn the qualification is carefully considered. 1 think the same will happen in this instance, although 1 do not claim originality tor either the above statement or Die following qualification. The wealth of Mew Zealand, like that of any other country, consists of social a.nd individual necessaries of life, used in Dio lima dost moral souse. '.that these necessaries are produced by the social or collective manual and mental labor of those 297,000 workers, adding to that figure Dial minority of necessary producers to be deducted from. Die 11,000 Income Tax payers whoso salaries generally average not very much over tin £9OO, will and must bo admitted as an •absolute and commoiifionse fact.

Tho inevitable conclusion that can on It be drawn from the above promises arc •—1 (1) 'Hint 297,000 odd workers arc the .sole producers of tbo wealth of Now Zealand • (2) that although they produce all th’ wealth, their average share is only about £Bl per annum, according to statistiad' returns (1907), which is far below in total to the wealth produced ; (3) that the major portion of the 11,000 legalised Income Tax payers “are non-producers” in any shape or form, but appropriate tbo largest, portion of tbit wealth ; and (4) that part of the wealth thus appropriated, in whose production they personally expended no labor, they pay to the .State in the form of direct and indirect taxation.

1 think that from the above eommonsenso facts and deductions it must lx l admilted .that 1 have fully proved Hie truth of my statment: tliat the workers (297.000 odd) not only supply tho whole of the ro\enue, but also the major portion o( the incomes of the 11.000 Income Tar jKiyers. But “ Taxpayer " may say Hold on ; not so fast. What alxnil the reward of_ abstinence?” as capitalist politico-econo-mists would say, meaning thereby absli-m-neo from work, no matter how ahlehodied such, by living on rents, interest, or profits derived from investment of wealth or capital primarily accumulator! through the above channels of unproductive appropriation and other forms of legally chartered gambling in the necr r ’-7 of human life. This, Mr “ Tuxpa- ihe root cause of the rich gett inc i; !, 0 poor poorer and more plcnti' or “Taxpayer” saying “that hj - i will be so in the future, for r shall always have with ins.” ;i. knowledge of tho social nomic history of the hum-: v Unproductive appropriation an ■ , , r ship are the cause of si om social evils. How to dispense with ihcsu appropriators, and haw to secure a living far them and their dependents, are problems demanding solution in every State. On this question I must ask “ A Taxpayer ” to inform himself through study.— I am Scientific So’culisx. ■’ JioreaAer.lSSv