MASS OF INACCURACIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18355, 22 March 1923, Page 8

MASS OF INACCURACIES.

SIR JOSEPH »ON FINANCE. tBY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] TE PUKE, Wednesday. Further reference to Sir Joseph Ward's "frenzied finance" was made to-day by the Prime Minister at Paparoa, in the course of an informative political address to an excellent meeting of settlers. " I have never heard or read a speech from any man in all my life with so many inaccuracies in it as the speech made by Sir Joseph Ward at Tauranga the other night," said Mr.'Massey. "It is impossible to imagine how he contrived to fall into 7 such errors and extravagant statements. A public man ought really to be more careful in the selection of his information. Consider, for example, his amazing comparisons in respect of taxation." Nothing could be more ridiculous, continued Mr. Massey, than the statement that taxation was £19 Qe 9d per head in New Zealand, as compared with only £4 14s 3d in Queensland. The actual position was that the difference was very substantially in favour of the Dominion. Instead of New Zealand's per capita taxation being over £19, it was only £12 odd, while in Queersland the combined taxation, federal and estate, was £14 odd per head of the population. " When we come to the end of thus' i financial year on March 31," said the Prime Minister, " the Budget will show a great reduction in taxation. I am quite sure that the rate per head will not be more than £11, which is very different from Sir Joseph Ward's assertion th.-i*' the amount of taxation per head is £19 0s 9d— I can guarantee a reduction of £2,000,000 in the aggregate taxation early next financial year." (Applause.) The Prime Minister also discussed the outcry against the Moratorium Act. " There is no ground for all this talk about the seriousness of the position," declared Mr. Massey. " Many people seem to think that the world will come to an end with the repeal of the Moratorium Act. The Moratorium, as a matter of fact, does not apply to new mortgages. It applies only to mortgages arranged before 1919. The fact does not appear to be generally known.'" The appreciative audience, on the motion of Mr. A. Gallagher and seconded by Mr. A. J. Wells, marked their approval of the Prime Minister's policy and his special appeal to Tauranga electors to vote for the Reform candidate by recording a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence.