SINGLE INCOME TAX

Grey River Argus, 16 June 1942, Page 4

SINGLE INCOME TAX

AUSTRALIAN STATES’ APPEAL. SYDNEY, June 15. The New South Wales Government is expected 'to abandon the plans to join the other States, in challenging the Commonwealth’s uniform taxation laws. This is the result of a resolution opposing the States’ moves, which was carried this week-end at the annual conference of the New South Wales branch of the Australian Labour Party—the governing Labour body in this State. The Labour Party is using its influence in other States also, particularly in Victoria and Western Australia, in an attempt to dissuade State Ministers from supporting the appeal. In Western Australia, there is a Labour Ministry, and in Victoria a Country Party Ministry is kept in power by the . vote of Labour Members of Parliament. There seems iio doubt, however, that the South Australian and Queensland Governments will go on with the_ appeal.

A number of American workmen were at work in Greymouth yesterday. It is understood that they are preparing storage space for oildrilling equipment, which will be located at different places. One way and another there appear to be a large number of Americans in Greymouth at present, and it was even rumoured that they are looking for house property, though this could not be confirmed. There are no reports of further oil developments, but it is believed that hotelkeepers in Kumara have been approached about selling their properties.

The Greymouth Harbour Board has received notification that it must make returns to the Government of all its stocks of hardwood and not use any without authority. This notification followed promptly on the publication of the report of the discussion on the building of a dry dock at the board’s last meeting, when supplies of hardwood were mentioned. The board’s engineer (Mr D. S. Kennedy) said that hardwood supplies were one of the three main obstacles in the way of such an undertaking at present; the others were shortage of labour and shortage of steel.

“We are in good tin huts,- and are pretty comfortable,” writes Gnr. J. J. Rodden, who is with the New Zealand troops in Syria, to his parents in Waiuta. “Beer and spirits,” he says, “are fairly cheap here, beer Is 3d (60 piastres) a bottle and all kinds of spirits at various prices. The people here are very clean, hard-working, and by appearances, are very poor, but I think they sit tight oii most of their cash. We are all noticing the difference in the climate, and winter woollies are the order ol the day; but as far as health goes, we are all 100 per cent., and eating better than ever before.”

With present high prices of oranges and lemons it .is interesting to be presented with a contrasting picture, from a letter written by Gnr. J. J. Rodden, of the Middle East Forces, to his parents in Waiuta. Writing of Gaza; in Palestine, he says: “To give you some idea of how plentiful cranges were, we got a sackful for a tin of bully-beef, and to buy them for cash cost about a penny a dozen. You have no idea how plentiful fruit is The ground is just covered with oranges, grape-fruit and lemons. The Government has some restrictions on exporting them, hence the overflow of fruit.”

Greymouth postal district fell not far short of £5OOO in its Liberty Bond effort; raising £4919. Ten out of flteeen offices obtained their quotas, Blackball showed investments totalling £2056/10/- ,as against a weekly quota of £65. The following comprise the total:— Greymouth, quota, £622, investments £1682/9/-; Blackball, £65, (£2056/10/-); Brunnerton, £63 (£lO9/15/-); Hokitika, £212 (£415/ 9/-); Ikamatua; £2O (£3/10/-); Jackson Bay, £l5 (£B4/10/-; Kumara, £39 (£66); Ngahere, £ll (£10); Moana £7 (£20); Otira,’ £lB (£24); Reefton, £lO4 (£l9O/15/-); Ross, £4l (£133/4/6); Runanga, £126 (£lO3/17/-); Stillwater £l2 (5/-); Waiuta, £44 (£lB/19/-); tothls, £1399 (£4919/3/6).