LABOUR’S PROGRAMME

Evening Star, Issue 21819, 7 September 1934, Page 11

LABOUR’S PROGRAMME

TAXES WOULD INVOLVE HALF PEOPLES' INCOME JJkou Ouk Parliauintauv Reporter. J WELLINGTON, September 6. An opportunity for Labour members to show their sincerity on the question of guaranteed prices to farmers will come up this. session, when, the sliding scale of wheat duties is considered in committee on the Customs Bill. This point was made by Mr Smith (New Plymouth), when speaking in the Financial Debate in the House to-night. He questioned ■ whether the Opposition would be consistent with what they had been telling the people all over the country regarding their plan of getting them out of the depression. One of their plans was guaranteed prices, but if members would look up the division lists when the voting took place bn the wheat duties (which were a form of guaranteed prices) they would find the names of half a dozen Labour members against it. Mr Carr: We opposed the method. Mr Smith replied.that there would be a further opportunity of voting on the question this session, and it would be interesting to see the attitude of the Opposition. To carry out their promises would moan an extra expenditure estimated at thirty-two millions; but he would reduce that to twenty-two millions, which, if added to the present taxation, would involve raising forty millions annually. They ought to tell the people where this money was to come from. The Government Statistician’s estimate of private income, including fifty-five millions of wages, -was ninety millions, so that if the Labour Party had the opportunity of carrying out its policy it would need to collect through taxation nearly half the total incomes of the people.