THE WAGES TAX

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19373, 10 July 1937, Page 16

THE WAGES TAX

OPPOSITION BY WORKERS CONFERENCE DISCUSSION Opposition to the wage tax in any fonn was expressed at the annual conference of the New Zealand Workers’ Union, held at Wellington. The conference discussed a remit suggesting that the tax be abolished so far as wage earners earning less than £4 a week were concerned, but it was finally decided that the matter be referred to the Federation of Labour for consideration.

Tire statement was made at the conference, according to the Standard, the Labour newspaper, that there was a serious anomaly in the operation of the tax. Men employed under No. 5 scheme were exempted from the payment of the tax, so long as their earning did not exceed the basic wage of £3 16s, while other men earning the basic wage or less had to pay the tax. It was a fact that many men employed on State forestry and other jobs did not earn the basic wage. One speaker stated that the wage tax was one of the important sources from which the Government drew revenue. The Hon. F. E. Lark, M.L.C., who proposed that the matter be referred to the Federation of Labour, said that no worker should be called on to pay the tax;