TAXING AMUSEMENTS
FOE CHARITABLE AID. SUGGESTION REJECTED. An interesting discussion took place at the Municipal Conference yesterday, when Mr G. J. Garland (Grey Lynn) moved that "a tax of, say. 10 per cent, or such other amount oa tho Government may deem sufllcient, bo charged on all ticket admission to places of amusement. This tax to form ■part of a fund for tho maintenance ol hospitals and relief of distress, and the other part of such fund to be taken from consolidated revenue in such manner ana in such proportion as tho Government may determine." Ho urged that it was a demo* cratic proposal, designed to take a small tax from the people who could best afford to help hospitals and charily. Theatrical companies which took so much money from tho people might reasonably be com* polled to return a small proportion tor charitable .aid. , , , - r The motion was seconded by Mr W. H Oollingwood (Palmerston North). Tho Hon. J. Barr thought 10 per cent* was excessive, though he approved the gen* oral principle. Ho was in favour of a tax, not only on tickets, but on all amuso monte.
Councillor J. Fuller, who represented Wanganui East, was surprised to hear of a proposal to tax an institution which served to keep people out of the hospitals. (Laughter.) The profits in theatrical buui* ness were not nearly so great as many people imagined. Theatricals paid income tax as much as other people, and their expenses were high. li a tax were put upon amusements it would bear heavily on a number of struggling showmen. (Langhter.) The picture-show business was not what it was cracked up to be, and a lot of shareholders would be lamenting shortly. This suggestion might send some of them to the Hospital—slaughter)—and it would have a boomerang effect. Mr W. B. Soandrctt (Invercargill South) thought the proposal unsuitable to New Zealand,, The system of raising money for hospital and charitable aid was a* nearly perfect as it could be. Tho remit was rejected on the voices.
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Bibliographic details
New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8186, 30 July 1912, Page 4
Word Count
340TAXING AMUSEMENTS New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8186, 30 July 1912, Page 4
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