CHILDREN TO BE TAXED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 230, 27 August 1938, Page 8

CHILDREN TO BE TAXED

A feature of the Government’s social security legislation which has earned the criticism of members of the Opposition is the proposal to tax children, and the injustice it will impose on quite a number. During his speech on the Bill the member for Egmont, Mr 0, A. Wilkinson, drew an interesting parallel between the two examples of the boy or girl who must start to earn a living at an early age and those who are able to proceed to college. He pointed out that the former would be compelled to pay the tax and the latter would be exempt. The unfairness is apparent and in many cases will cause hardship, for it is mostly the case that family needs send children to work at a young age. Naturally, the Minister cannot tax earnings that do not exist where children are at school, but in his search for revenue to finance the scheme he imposes an annual levy of 5s on all school children and students of 16 years of age and over. Many parents have correctly condemned the proposal. Particularly now w T hen the cost of living is high, and tending to go higher, some are finding it difficult to give their children the education they desire, and the sacrifices they are making are being made the harder by the Minister. The unemployment legislation provides for a minimum taxable age of 20 years, and thg Minister would have found himself in sympathy with public opinion had he followed that course in the present Bill so far as children are concerned. To compel them to pay taxation at the tender age of 16 years is repugnant to the ideals of British people; in effect they are to be taxed to provide for‘the comfort of elderly people, while in the past it was youth who had been given a helping hand when embarking on their careers. Mr J. A. Roy accurately summed up the matter when he said that the Government had put up a record in taxing children, who have no vote.