IF PROHIBITION GAME

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11386, 6 December 1922, Page 5

IF PROHIBITION GAME

EFFECT ON PUBLIC FINANCE ALL CLASSES “TAXED TO THE HILT AT PRESENT.” FURTHER BURDENS CALAMITOUS Questioned by a “New Zealand Times” reporter yesterday, Mr Harold Beauchamp, the well-known financial expert, 6aid:— “I have been strongly urged to make a pronouncement as to what Is likely to be the effect on the public finances in the event of prohibition being carried in this Dominion. In my opinion, there can be no doubt whatever that, in the event of thw country becoming dry, it will be exceedingly difficult—in fact, almost impossible—to raise revenue from any other source, without inflicting undue hardship to the great bulk of the taxpayers, to replace that now raised by duty on alcoholic liquors. “At the moment all classes of the community are taxed to the hilt, and, owing to the perilous times through which we are passing, thousands are struggling to keep their heads above water. To place any additional burden upon them would, therefore, he most calamitous. "Having recently visited Canada, I had the opportunity of comparing the prosperity of the province of Quebec, where the sale of liquor is controlled by the State, with the depressed condition of the other provinces of that Dominion where the sale is prohibited. In Quebec, the profit to the Government from this source is not less than £2.000,000 per annum, estimated to be sufficient to extinguish the debt of that province in less than fifteen years. These figures speak for themselves.” I ======