MR POLSON AND TAXATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21019, 7 May 1930, Page 9

MR POLSON AND TAXATION.

TO THE EDITOB. BumlSft Pols °V n kis address in the Hurns Hall, saye that he did not believe that smgie men employed on relief works should receive 14a per day, if that waf r waTof^T- nt for “led men. To ?L*= lnkmer ’ a Smgle man should , tlie same as a married man for hie work, as the State should not benefit any more from the sweat of a bachelor’s brow than from that of a marriedmam A single man requires a wage in order to save to buy a home and become A married would be much better to tax B r ?’ ,lllcludlll « “Queer Fellow.’’ Then Mr Poison went on to say that these S 3. ' v ' er . e “ akiDg ] abour scarce and bringing about a permanent industry of unemployment. That is not eo as g rehef work. The workers a?e filling buckets of stones and .then emptyT,L he ® put agam f , or their 14s a day. w e , Im ? rov J 1 l K the country,.whether ro “d-making, electric schemes, or forestry work. The rising generation will have'to pay for the roaSs Why should to e mlf-p ker ?i f to-day work-for a low wage e good roads for others coming on? The electric schemes and forestry will pay for themselves m time to come. Referring to the land, Mr Poison said the Government was at present finding it difficult to dispose of lands it had purchased. That was not so with the Wilden and Rosebery estates, as a good many were disappointed at not getting a section. Those' who were, unsuccessful may apply if they It no ™v h f r ‘ 3 n Cr ° is I ? ther Available it may be the applicants were after a first choice, but I fail to see why tue Labour people should assist in striving for a better condition of affairs. If a man the . land . hi (?b wages won’t bim from doing, so, as is proved by the number of applicants for tne two above estates, Mr Poison proposes to tax the cross liquor sales of hotels. Ido not agree to rob the working man of his beer. At the present, time I could do with a “spot" myself, but have to do without on account or nigh taxation. Even invalids have to ~P without On account of high prices, and the working man is barred from a stimulant before going to work through Reforms Act to ; not opening the bars till a o clock. Mr Poison would do the farmers an injury and make more unemployment. The small racing clubs would nave to disband, as the most of them are already running their meetings at a loss through high taxation. Consequently, hundreds of jockeys, trainers, and drivers of light-harness horses would be thrown out of work, which means thousands of tons of oaten sheaf chaff and millions of bushels of oats used for the horses, all to the loss of the farmer. It would be much better if Mr Poison’ would advocate running a double totalisator at all meetings and license bookmakers on and off the course, which would, in no way interfere with the cost of living., Mr E. A. Ransom is reported to have -said at Parnell that he would suggest that large landowners get to work early, as there might be further amendments still to deal with owners of unencumbered properties below the £14,000 limit who were paying remarkably little taxation. In the face of the above message it does not look as if the Government is finding it hard to dispose of lands it had bought, as Mr Poison, says. Farmers at times make things bad for themselves. When there is a drop in sheep they talk of things getting worse and will not buy, and as soon as a rise comes they bid for cheep in shillings' instead of pennies, and in a month’s time they want to know how. sh.eep are up 10 bob! I have known the same to happen on a good many occasions, n,nd the same will happen again. Mr Poison prefers an income tax in preference to a land tax That is an old Reform policy. Had it not been for the Liberals there would have been no closer settlement to-day, and it is to be hoped the United Party wnl continue the land tax.—l am, etc.. > Queer Fellow.