MELBOURNE CUP

Southland Times, Issue 24754, 27 May 1942, Page 5

MELBOURNE CUP

OBJECTIONS TO WEEK DAY (Rec. 11.45 p.m.) CANBERRA, May 26. Objections by sportsmen to holding the Melbourne Cup on other than the traditional first Tuesday in November were condemned by the Prime Minister, Mr J. Curtin, today. The Victoria Racing Club authorities had just decided that this year’s Melbourne Cup should be run on Saturday, November 1, because of the ban on racing on week-days. The Victoria Derby has been fixed for the previous Saturday, October 31. Mi’ Curtin said racing folk did not hesitate to postpone the running of the cup to another date because the course was inundated on the traditional Tuesday a few years ago. “The threatened invasion of this continent seems to me a much more vital matter than a deluge,” he said. “I sincerely hope that whatever sporting events Australians are contemplating for next November will not distract men from working for and serving their country in its hour of need.” Australia’s increased earning capacity meant that more persons would pay income tax this year, the Federal Treasurer, Mr J. B. Chifley, said today. He pointed out that on the basis of Australian incomes remaining static the scale of taxation at present before the

House of Representatives would yield about £130,000,000, but actually Australian incomes were not static. Indeed, they were increasing rapidly as a result of the war expenditure of nearly £1,000,000 a day. This meant that there would be a greatly increased taxable field, which would bring in an additional £15,000,000. Many thousands of persons entering munition factories who previously were not liable to taxation would now pay income-tax. This applied particularly to women, many of whom were earning good salaries because of overtime.