WAR TAXATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 16806, 16 March 1915, Page 4

WAR TAXATION.

TO THB EDITOE,

Sir —With vour permission I should like ho protest against the suggested war tax as proposed by Mr Harold Beauchamp, and also I see, supported by some of Christcburch's prominent business men. The proposed tax js most injust, to put it in a nutshell »t means the workers, or "rank and file" will have to hear the burden, and God knows it is hard enough just now. The cost of living has gone up and wages have remained stationary, and there are hundreds of men, aye probably thousands to-day in New Zealand whose incomes have nearly doubled since the war started, and if this idea of taxation proposed by Mr Harold Beauchamp is carried out it means that these rich men will get ■ off scot free. Adam Smith, one of the greatest of the founders of the science of political' economy, laid down some maxims on taxation that have never been refuted. One of +hem states I "That the subjects of every State • ought to contribute towards the support of the Government, as nearly as possible, in proportion to their reI spectivo abilities: that is, in propor- ) tion to the revenue which they respectively enjoy under the protection of the State." If that is sound, then

the obvious course is to tax incomes. The machinery is already there for collecting the tax; all that needs to be done is for the Government of the day to say tho word. But will thcyP —I am, etc., JNO. BARLOW. March 9. 1915.