TAX BURDEN

Grey River Argus, 30 July 1940, Page 3

TAX BURDEN

FOR WAR PURPOSES Hon. H. T. Armstrong’s Views “I wish to contradict the charge being made by some against the JLaoour Uxuvernmeiic mat it is unduly faxing the worker and letting the big re.low oft”, said the Minister of Health, Hon. H. T. Armstrong, speaking at ui. Labour Party s social at me Lyceum Hall. “I don’t think the average worker <n New Zeaiand ,wlij complain about the Is in me £ for war purposes, for if a comparison is made oi the amount of tax taken on: unworker with that paid by other portions of the community, it will be found that the working peopie oi New Zealand are getting off lighter than anywhere else. You can’t get everything from the wealthy classes, because it isn’t there. Nor can you entirely exempt the workers and get sufficient revenue if you take all they have got from those at the top wrung of the ladder. In New Zealand, a much larger percentage of the money received goes to the workers.” Continuing the Minister said: You will' find this year that your income has not been forgotten when you come to pay your income tax. in New Zealand the man with £20,009 and there are a few of them yer—will have only £2500 left after paving his tax. We could hardly be expected to take much more. COMPULSORY LOANS. “In addition we are going to borrow to pay for the war,” said Mr Armstrong. “We are going to say to people who are able to loan money that for three years without interest, and for ten years at 21 per cent they must lend money to the Government. In New Zealand better conditions are being enjoyed by the people than in any other part of the world. I am not saying that people arc earning too much, for I hope to see a still higher standard of living in this country yet. The worker in New Zealand is getting off lighter than in any other country in the world.” “Some think we should ptul out_ oi this war,” the Minister said. “Well we are in it, and We couldn't pull out decently even if we wanted to. The Government is going to do as much as it possibly can do, but we feel that the best conditions we can giv e the people employed to-day should be maintained without taxing any section out. of proportion to its ability to pay. 40 Hour Week. Mr Armstrong said that the Government was fighting for its life today to retain the 40 hour week. New Zealand was the only country where it was in operation. The United States had the 40 hour week but lost it. He was in France when it was brought into operation, but there K had fasted only a few months. Getmany also had,it and lost it. e w Zealand alone had retained the 4U hour week, and knew that as rai as h e and the Labour Party were concerned they were going to fight to the last to retain it. “We are not going to allow the war to b e used as a means of taking from the workers what has been accomplished in their interests in the last few years. If those in essential ‘industries arc required to work- longer hours, I am satisfied that they will respond, but there is absolutely no need to repeal the 40 hours weex. Ther e is difficulty to-day m fading work to keep men employed for 40 hours a week, and it is no good thinkins; of extending those, houis. Those who are asking for longer hours are S, who. it they had their way would give men two days work a week with two days’ pay. War Regulations. Mr J O’Brien M.P. who also spoke, referred to the War Regulations, ana said that they did not seem to be much different from those in opei<*tion in the last war. “There is, however, to-day much more danger of an actual threat to New Zea ‘* nd ’ said Mr O’Brien. “The Labour Movement the world over is endangered, because the last war did not make n impossible for Labour orgamsauons to carry on. Hitler has wiped ou--7 000,000 socialists in Germany ana Mussolini has done the same to thj socialists in Italy. I hate the thing, but I must say that since the Government has put up a great Xrd for the benefit of the, wormj people Even after nine months oi war we have kept up the standard New Zealand, and war or no war, we intend to maintain it*