WAGE TAX OF 1/-

Evening Star, Issue 21036, 25 February 1932, Page 15

WAGE TAX OF 1/-

VARiOUS VIEWS MAKE THE BIG SALARIES PAY [SrncLU. to the ‘ Stab.’] CHIUSTCHURCH, February 24. An unemployment wage tax of Is in tho £, whieli it is believed the Government intends to introduce, is not looked upon with favour in Labour quarters, and similar views are held to a largo extent by Cr K. H. Andrews, chairman of tho Christchurch Citizens' Unemployment Committee. Cr K. Parlane, secretary of tho Canterbury Drivers’ Union, said it was his personal opinion that no man on £4 a week or less should be asked to contribute to tho fund. There should be a graduated tax, starting from that sum. In spite of tho depression there were thousands of people in Now Zealand drawing big salaries, and they should bo made to pay. Women receiving incomes from investments should also bo made to pay their fair share, and some of this money should bo devoted to helping unemployed girls. “ I think the Government should confiscate all dividends paid by companies in excess of 6 per cent.” continued Mr Par lane. “In war time the Government made no bones about conscripting men, and it should bo equally ready to conscript wealth in times of distress like these. After all, wo all live by each other, and if someone is making excessive profits it simply means that other people have to go short to make up.” Cr Andrews thought there should be a graduated tax. He did not see how the Government could take Is in tho £ from men drawing relief wages, and men with a family who were earning £4 a week or less. It would mean that tho rest of us would have to pay more. “Of course,” he continued, “ i realise that men with big incomes will say they have correspondingly big responsibilities, but 1 also realise that the money is needed, not to solve the problem—it won’t do that—but simply to relieve the position to a reasonable extent.”