BUSINESSMEN CONFER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16200, 25 November 1926, Page 11

BUSINESSMEN CONFER

ASSOCIATED CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, last night. At the conference of the Associated Chambers of Commerce this afternoon, (he Chambers of Commerce conference advocated that the income tax exemption to unmarried persons he fixed at £2OO. Some delegates said unmarried women should not be taxed, while others thought the exemption figures suggested for males should be still further reduced. In view of the United States substantially increasing the Customs on New Zealand dairy produce, remits were presented urging that the Government. should amend the Customs tariff on American manufactures to discourage their importations, with the hope ot securing better treatment fox our exported produce.—Dir. Smith (tedding) said that in 1925 New Zealand bought goods from America valued at £8,885,000. while in return America purchased from New Zealand goods to the value o) £4,349,000, and adverse balance of £4.536,000, The conference affirmed the necessity to New Zealand for the protection and maintenance of British trade! routes, and urged a move to provide for more adequate contribution towards the cost of empire naval defence. All goods coming from overseas should be. marked with the name of the country of origin. The Minister of Customs is to be urged to continue his efforts towards effecting a more satisfactory tariff arrangement between New Zealand and Australia.

.Regarding the basic wage question, It was stated that, nothwithslanding. the existence of various adverse national trade balances, an increased rate of wages had become automatically payable. The formula was based on the assumed domestic requirements of a man, his wife, and two children, and as only 11 per cent, of the wage earners possessed these responsibilities the remainder wore on this basis overpaid. The conference expressed the opinion that the burden of taxation borne by commerce and industry was too heavy and was a hindrance to the full revival of trade. Further, that the present incidence of taxation had caused a regrettable diversion of capital and labor from rural to urban areas to the neglect of primary industries. Regret was expressed that the Government had failed to carry into effect the recommendation of the Special Committee of taxation, 1922, and of the unanimous report of the Royal Commission of 1924 and the principle of the graduated tax on incomes; also that Rower Board and municipal and State trading enterprises which enter into competition with private enterprises, should be liable for taxation on the same basis as similar firms or trading corporations.