DUTY ON TOBACCO

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 16 August 1924, Page 5

DUTY ON TOBACCO

IS THERE TO BE REMISSION

(From our Parliamentary Correspondent)

WELLINGTON. This Day. The statement that the Prime Minister had conveyed an impression throughout the country that a remission was to be expected in the duty on tobacco was made in the House last night by Mr Sidey. When the Government made up their estimates they were in quandary as to what their proposals were to be, said Mr Sidey, they could not make up their minds. If you want an illustration of that you have only to look at the fact that when they announced they were going to reduce taxation by a. million pounds, they were unable to inform the country from what source of revenue the concessions wore to he made. The amount which is actually Budgeted for has got to he reduced by one million pounds. Statements that have been made have produced uncertainty in the country. The Prime Minister indicated in one of his speeches that part of the remission was to come off tobacco. The Prime Minister: I did not.

Mr Sidey said that there was a feeling of uncertainty in the trade. Mr Massey: Be accurate, you know what I said quite well. Mr Sidey : 1 don’t. Then you ought to, said the Prime Minister.