THE PRESS TAX.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20060, 29 March 1927, Page 5

THE PRESS TAX.

ItEFUNDIXO THE HA'PENNIES. (From Our Own Coeresrindent-) SYDNEY, March IS. Tlic action of the High Court, in <1 edaring the State Government’s halfpenny newspaper tax illegal,.had an interesting sequel. The tax had actually been in operation for some weeks. The majority of the newspapers of Sydney under! ok. if the tax were declared illegal, to pay over to some public institutin' - or cause the extra amount that, was collected. One newspaper, however, provided a way for the refund of the tax to its readers, by attaching to each of its issues a receipt which had to he, produced. The tax was no sooner declared nnconsti tutional than the office of the newspaper began to be besieged by an army of readers wanting their halfpennies back. A special staff had t« bo engaged to "epo with the long queue of people waiting for the refund of the tax. They received, on an average, two shillings each. One lady drove up in a smart motor car for her refund, which amounted to two shillings. She collected the money on principle. The Government had talked of putting a tax on advertisements, if the newspaper tax failed, but the idea seems to have been dropped. Possibly it is not anxious to be subjected to mother humiliating defeat in the highest court in the land.