CUSTOMS BURDENS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7851, 13 July 1911, Page 7

CUSTOMS BURDENS

HOW THEY HAVE BEEN LIGHTENED RECORD OF LIBERAL GOVERNMENTS FROM ODE SPECIAL UEPOBTEB. NELSON, July 12. Details of losses to revenue through remissions in Customs taxation by tho Liberal Government were given to-night by the Hon. li. McKenzie, Minister of Customs, in his speech at Wakefield, when ho dealt very thoroughly with the incidence of taxation. Tlio loader of the Conservative party had been endeavouring recently to frighten some timid people with a taxation bogey, said tho Minister. The Opposition had been working hard to make the mass of the people believe that the taxation had been increased. considerably. The only taxation in this country that the mass of the people—in fact, everybody—paid was Customs taxation, and this class of taxation had been reduced enormously during recent years. In fact, had, tixo Customs tariff in force in 1890 been continued until the 31st of last March .£700,000 mom taxation would have been paid through tho Customs last year. Tho Liberal party had made remissions in Customs taxation amounting in tho aggregate during the last twenty years to X 0,322,0-18. TAXATION AND inJECHASINGPOWER. In IS9I tho imports were .£6,303,519, or about XlO 6s Cd por head; in 1910 tho imports were .£17,1151,583, or about XIS 9s 4d per head of population. While the Customs tariff only increased by 10s 2d per head the imports increased by X 6 2a lOd per head, so that the explanation of the growth in the Customs revenue must bo obvious, to the most casual observer. “Now,” said Mr McKenzie, "let me show you tho other side of this question. In 1891 the exports were X 9,566,397, or Xls 3s lOd per head of the population; in 1910 tho -exports wore .£22,180,209, or =£2l fie 3d per head, being an increase of .£6 4s fid, so that it must also be obvious to tho most casual observer that the purchasing power of tho people had increased enormously/' Xt was quite apparent that tho people 1 now lived more comfortably and luxuriously than they did twenty years ago. ANNUAL REMISSIONS' £7OO/300.

Ho had had a return prepared by thft Customs Department showing the various alterations and remissions of Customs dutie© sineo 1891 until now. It also showed the amounts that would have been collected last year had the 1891 tariff been in force then. Tho total amount that would have been collected under the 1891 tariff was .£3,545,424. The amount collected last year , under the present tariff was =£2,954,989 —an annual reduction of .£690.435, or in round numbers £700,000. That the Liberal party did change the incidence of taxation went without saying, and this had always been one of the Opposition's principal grievances. In fact the incidence of taxation had always been a clearly defined line of cleavage between the Conservative and tho Liberal parties in this as well as in most other countries. Tho Liberal party, acting on its political faith and principles, changed tho iniquitous property tax, under which every man was taxed on the full value of his house, his land, and his furniture. He paid oh his sheep, his horses and cattle, on his clothes and his. chattels—in fact, he paid on everything within his gate.

THE DETAILS. Mr McKenzie read the following re* turn Showing the loss of revenue sustained upon importations into New Zealand from May Ist, 1891, to December 31st, 1910, owing to remissions in tariff. The figures which follow each item represent the approximate duly remitted" on that item for the period;— Loss of duty. £ Belting, other than leather, from 20 per cent, ad vaL to free 43,743 Caudles, 3d per lb to lid,per lb 90,744 Carriages, motor oar chassis. from 20 per cent, to free . 112,588 Coffee, from 3d pm* lb to free... 41,536 Colton piece* goods, from 20 per cent, to 10 per cent, to free ... 194,653 Cream of tartar, from Id per H> to free —— 21,549 Drugs, chemicals, etc., from 40 to 25 per cent, to 20 per cent. ad val. 113,219 Fruits, dried, from 2d per lb to freo ... 336,507 Glass (pinto and other kinds), from 15 per cent, to free 18,553 Glass (window), from 2s per 100 superficial feet to free X2*J43 Iron pipes and fittings, from 5 per cent, to free ——26,790 Laces, from 25 per cent, to 20 per cent. ... M),G97 Linen pioc© goods, from 20 per cent, to froe ..... 23,430 Machinery, agricultural, dairying, gasmaking, mining, woodworking and woollen milling, from 5 to 20 per cent, to freo •. * 95,*223 Matches, from Is 4d per gross boxes and 3s per gross to la and Is 4d IS^STfI Mustard, from 2d per lb to freo 1,509 Oils, kerosene, from 6d per gallon to free .... 1,073^159 Oils, other kinds, from 6d per gallon to tree .. 46,933 Paper hangings, from 15 per c cent, to freo .............—22,717 Rice, from 4s per cwt to free... 361,985 £alt, from 10s per ton to free Sheep shears, from 30 per cent. to free . 9,313 Spices (ungrerand), from 2d por lb to free Sugar, from |d per lb to free..'. 752,453 Tea. from Gd per lb to 2d per lb and free - 1^57^63 Turps, from 6d per gallon bo freo Wax, paraffin and eteariae, from ijd per lb to Id per lb and 3d per lb ~~~ 52,076 W ire fencing, from Is bo 2s per cwt to free 283,953 Wool packs, from 3s 6d per dozen to free 82,313 All other items 142,154 Loss through drawl>ack —36,506 Tho Minister added that'-he noticed that his Conservative opponents were advocating further reductions in Customs taxation, and no Liberal would be unwilling to do this. At the same time if Customs ' taxation was further reduced he would undertake that the super-gradu-ated land tax, starting from an unimproved value of £40,000 would have to gc up-