Manawatu Evening Standard. CIRCULATION 4900 DAILY. TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 1915. THE NEW TAXATION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 10163, 31 August 1915, Page 4

Manawatu Evening Standard. CIRCULATION 4900 DAILY. TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 1915. THE NEW TAXATION.

Wk all knew that the war would bring increased responsibilities, and with those responsibilities increased taxation. Some people have been impatiently demanding the enforcement of the latter for the past six months. Possibly they were anxious to ascertain their liability, in view of the demands made upon them by the organisers of the .several patriotic funds. Now that they have got it, or rather have been made aware of the proposed new taxation, it is possible they will bo feeling a little uncomfortable. It may seem to them a fearful thing that the country should have to shoulder an additional burden of two millions per annum in the shape of increased taxation, and it is possible that the increased land and income taxes will cause them anything but pleasure. But, taking the proposals as a whole we are disposed to think very little fault* can be found with them. The burden is being fitted to the shoulders best able to bear it. There is to be no taxation upon the necessaries of life and no reduction oi the exemption in the income tax collections. Payers of that tax are privileged to pay an additional 33 1-3 per cent and the graduated land tax is to be increased by 50 per cent. Railway fares and freights are to l>e increased as an alternative to a "drastic" putting down of the train services; the sixpenny telegram goes by the board, the minimum being now increased to 8d for each message, and an additional halfpenny postage is to be exacted up-'

on all packets, other than newspapers, put through the port. The man who disburses liis money by cheque will have to pay 2d duty on his cheques instead of the penny hitherto charged, and certain increases are made in the stamp duties required on mortgages, leases and agreements, etc. There is, however, one respect in which the new taxation may operate harshly. In certain cases the payers of land tax may also be called upon to pay income tax. It is not quite clear—and until the taxing measures come down it will be impossible to say just how the proposal is likely to operate—how far the farmer and landowner will be called upon to pay the dual tax; but Sir Joseph Ward, in his Financial Statement, leaves us under the impression that there are cases in which the dual taxation will involve the payment in taxation of 08 in the £ out of a man's income. Hitherto the principle has been recognised that the payer of land tax should not bo called upon to pay income tax also. It is still early to attempt to pronounce judgment on the merits of the matter, and we can only await the unfolding of the Minister's plans with a certain amount of curiosity, and the hope that the proposal may turn out less iniquitous than it appears to be from the superficial knowledge'we are able to gain of it, after perusing Sir Joseph Ward's speech.