FORTY MILLIONAIRES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20074, 11 October 1928, Page 14

FORTY MILLIONAIRES.

Sir,—ln to-day's Herald Mr. Richards, tho Labour candidate for Roskill, is reported to have said that 40 persons in New Zealand had each an income of £IOO,OOO per annum. It would be interesting to know just one of these happy people —it is equivalent to saying there are 40 millionaires here. It is not so. this is the first silly remark I have noticed in the election campaign ; there will doubtless be a lot more made It does not really matter—in fact it is rather amusing. The trouble is that many people arc lacking in the critical faculty and will believe anything that is told them. Many folk believe that candidates for Parliament are of necessity well informed and intelligent. Unfortunately our M.P.'s are in the lump, below, riot, above, the average in intelligence. Probably Mr. Richards has confused the company returns for in come tax with that of individuals; our system of taxing companies as individuals is unjust and indefensible on grounds of equity. T admit, but Mr. Richards should know" this. I would suggest that the next Parliament should pass an Act requiring candidates to pass a simple examination in general intelligence as well as having to make a deposit before standing. Tf I arn not greatly mistaken it was Mr. Richards who in the last election was a candidate for a northern electorate, and in the Strand Thpatre made disparaging remarks about the cockies being poorly dressed. Let me. state the cockies are the renl workers of New Zealand and deserve sympathy, not jeers from townies. M. Davis.

• [The statement by Mr. Richards was not even correct as to the number of incomes over £IOO.OOO. According to the latest statistics, only 16, not 40, incomes of over £IOO.OOO were returned in 1926-27. These were all companies.—Ed. Herald.]