WAR DECLARATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24793, 18 December 1941, Page 7

WAR DECLARATION

AUSTRALIA’S PLEDGE RESOLUTION APPROVED CANBERRA. Dec. 16. Prime Minister, Mr J. Curtin, in the House of Representatives today, tabled White Papers dealing with the conversations between Japan and the United States, and the existence of a state of war. He said the declaration of war against Japan was not only a development of deep significance in the history of Australia, out it created conditions the consequences of which would determine the future life of the Commonwealth for hundreds of years. The House unanimously approved a formal resolution pledging.itself in the war against Japan, Finland, Hungary and Rumania. Mr Curtin announced that the Government had ordered absolute priority for aircraft construction in Australia. Additional direct taxation on incomes and wages to raise £24,000,000 in a full year was announced to-day by the Federal Cabinet. It will operate from January 1. Hundreds of thousands of workers earning £157 a year will thus be brought into the taxation field. They will pay a flat rate of 6d in the £, or £3 18s 6d per annum.

On higher incomes a flat rate, rising to Is in the £ on incomes of £6 or over, will be payable in addition to the existing taxation. The Government is also imposing an additional company tax of Is, bringing the total of the company tax to 4s in the £. Ministers declare that this emergency taxation is largely due to the extension of the war to the Pacific, and is part of the price that must be paid to keep the Japanese out of Australia.