Manawatu Daily Times TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 1924. Taxation Commission.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3597, 1 April 1924, Page 4

Manawatu Daily Times TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 1924. Taxation Commission.

That the big- taxation controversy ■which has just concluded has borne fruit is evidenced by the telegraphed announcement in to-day’s issue that Mr Massey has decided to set up a Royal Commission with Mr Justice Sim as chairman. The “Evening Post," after pointing out that the Taxation Committee of two years ago, though not wholly fruitless, failed in its main purpose largely because it was composed of advocates and not of representatives, urges that the new committee should not suffer from the same defect. “One class was not represented,. it says. “That was the class of small taxpayers salaried and professional men, and other workers who contribute to the revenue through the Customs duties and through income tax levied upon savings invested in companies and upon salaries. These people ultimately are the greatest sufferers by heavy or Illdevised taxation, and their views must he heard. Moreover, if they are represented in full strength they will bo able to correct sectional views and impart judicial qualities to the investigation.” While insisting strongly upon the classes it is championing being represented on the Committee the “Post” also emphasises the duty of the Government and members of Parliament to see that action follows upon the presentation of the committee’s report. It wants the taxpaying community relieved of any inequitable burdens it 'may be bearing, not merely the addition of several pages of printed paper to the Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives. Minister and Teachers, The members of the Wellington Headmasters' Association have lost no time in letting the Minister of Education understand they have no intention of sitting down quietly under the aspersions they think he cast upon the leaders of their profession in the course of a statement he made in Christchurch the other day. “Apparently the Minister considers that he granted the repreesntatives of the Headmasters' Association an interview,” the chairman of the Wellington Association states. “The fact is, however, that the Director of Education sent an Invitation to the representatives to meet the Minister and discuss the amended regulations. To their surprise when they acceded to the request, they were treated as a deputation, and the Minister not only insisted on their speaker cutting out the first part of his case, hut also subjected him to frequent disconcerting interruptions. If the Minister had a desire to work in a spirit of co-operation with the teachers, surely he would have given their speaker every latitude in' stating his case, and would not so summarily have put the closure on the first part of it.” The tone of the chairman’s observations, though intended, no doubt, to be respectful, is plainly not very deferential. Promoting a Strike.

In this respect the chairman, who presumably yrites with concurrence of the other members of the executive of the Association, seems prepared to go to very % considerable lengths. “The headmasters’ trust that no body of teachers will lend itself to assist the Minister in drafting regulations which display a lack of confidence in the teaching profession. It Is a peculiar thing that the Minister, In his statement, alludes only to the one regulation, but says nothing about the general trend of the whole, nor does he allude to other objectionable features. The latter part of the Association’s statement, where the general trend of the

regulations Is criticised, is ignored by the Minister. In conclusion, if the Minister will, whole hcartedly withdraw these "impracticable and undesirable. regulations, he will find his reward in the fact that the great body of the teachers will meet his trust with trustworthiness." No one need doubt Mr Parr’s honest concern for the welfare of the education system of the Dominion,, but he appears to have a most unhappy knack of rubbing up the wrong way members of the teaching profession who do not submit quietly to the dictation of his Department.

Politics and Parties. Though the opening of the next session of Parliament still is nearly three months away there already is a good deal of discussion and speculation as to what will happen when members assemble In Wellington. The Prime Minister has made a tolerably extensive tour of the country since his return from the Imperial Conference, and though he does not admit that his journeying up and down the Dominion had anything to do with party politics he expresses himself as well pleased by the receptions accorded to hlrri everywhere. His personal popularity, which counts for so much at election time, obviously is unimpaired; but his own political friends admit that the failure of his hopes in regard to Imperial “preference” and cheap money has somewhat discounted the stock of the Reform Party. Mr Wilford, the leader of the Diberal Opposition, has been moving about quietly during the past month, preparing the way, it is understood, for a platform campaign later on. He, too, professes himse’f satisfied with the party outlook. The Lab-' our Party never sleeps nor slumbers and its activities during the present recess have been more far-reaching than ever. It has been much encouraged by the success of the Labour Party at Home and with a fine assumption of confidence counts upon winning half-a-dozen additional seats at the next general election and becoming the official Opposition, if not, with the assistance of the Liberals, the first New Zealand Labour Government. Optimism is a fine thing!