WAR TAXATION.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 488, 2 September 1915, Page 8

WAR TAXATION.

MAYOR OF SPREYDON CRITICAL. WANTS A BIGGER TAX. • ■nt -■ .♦,* • ' .. ' The National Government's Budget proposals came in for some, criticism at the meeting of the Spreydoa Borough Council last evening. The subject arose on a communication from the Red Cross Society relative to the council rendering increased QC'ClQffUlP#* . The Mayor (Mr W. H. Winsof) said that the Government nothing to prevent the exploitation of the generous. He khew a farmer who, even in an ordinary year, cleared a net profit of from £2OOO t« £3OOO. Nobody had approached this man or asked him to contribute, and he had stated that he hoped no ona would ask him. If they did they would not get very much from him. On the other hand, the working tnan had a tin put under his nose at every street corner. He would make the man who was in receipt of £20,000 a year pay £SOOO a year in taxation, and he would not object to making every man, even to workmen, contribute by means of the income tax to the necessities of the Empire. He would also tax the picture shows, as he thought that pleasure was a fit subject for taxation. ' :'0 Gr Rudd contended that the Government's proposals, though perhaps hardly sufficient, were going to hit the big estates pretty hard. The Mayor: Yes; but we are still being asked to keep up the Red Cross and Patriotic Funds. He wanted to see sufficient collected to cover all these funds, so that all should contribute according to their means. After further discussion between the Mayor and Cr Rudd, the subject was dropped.