TAXPAYER’S LOAD

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIV, Issue 3241, 11 December 1930, Page 5

TAXPAYER’S LOAD

TOP-HEAVY CIVIL SERVICE. PAY ON RELIEF WORKS. Dominion business conditions as reflected by the operations of the share market were touched on om Tuesday by Mr. E. R. Smith, chairman, at the annual meeting of the Dunedin Stock Exchange. “The world depression has naturally been reflected on the Exchange during the year,” Mr. Smith said, “and it would be idle to pretend that bixsiness has been up to the normal standard. The fall in the value of all shares has been very pronounced and need not be dwelt upon. The prospects for the coming year do not yet in my opinion disclose the silver lining that we are all looking forward to expectantly.

“EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY.”

“Owing to the large sums of lxxoney that the Dominion has invested in Australia during the last few years we are vei'y closely linked with the Commonwealth’s markets, and therefore deeply interested in the problems that at present confront its people. One does not like to comment on the lesson to. be .learned from our neighbours, and the position they have reached as the result of extravagant borrowing borrowing and unproductive expenditure, except to point out that the leaders of our Government do not seem to be capable of profiting by the example, and their slogan would appear to be, ‘Eat, drink and be merry, for to-morrow we die.” This is exemplified by the fact that during the last six months they have borrowed over £9,000,000, a large proportion of which is being spent on non-productive works. Thus, notwithstanding the gloom overshadowing all primary industries our already huge intei’est bill is being gx-eatly increased. COST OF CIVIL SERVICE. “No sufficient attempt,” Mr. Smith continued, “has yet been made to reduce the cost of our civil service, which is notoriously top heavy. Why, it may be asked, should this section of our community continue to draw their usual salax-ies while the people who pi-ovide them —the producer on the land with wool at 5d per lb. and butterfat at 9d. per lb., the manufacturer, the artisan, and the business community—are practically all experiencing severe reverses? “Those who pay the taxes cannot longer sustain these outgoings,, nor can they continue to provide the attractive rate .of pay which is being maintained on the works put in hand for the unemployed. As long as 14s per day is available the unemployed 1 single man will not exercise much initiative in seeking for other avenues of work. Indeed, as is well known, he will frequently relinquish a good position in order to get on to a public works pay roll. TRADE BALANCE. “Our imports for the nine months ended on September 30 totalled £33,348,000,” Mr. Smith added, “and with exports at £37,131,000 show a favourable balance of - £3,782,000. The lessened value of our pi’imary productions dui’ing the coming season will adversely affect our export figures, but no doubt import figures will also fall. The favoui’able balance disclosed above will, it is hoped, be maintained, and do its share in carrying us successfully, if combined with the necessary economies, will restore New Zealand to its old position of a very pi-osperous country.”