WAR FUNDS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 566, 2 December 1915, Page 9

WAR FUNDS.

INCOME TAXATION URGED. MAYOR OF SPREYDON'S VIEWS. Some plain speaking was indulged in by Mr W. H; Winsor, Mayor of Spreydonj at the Spreydon Borough Council's meeting last evening, with regard to methods of raising patriotic funds. Mr Winsor urged that all such' funds should be raised by direct taxation. Speaking of the proposal to levy rates for Red Cross and other war ! funds, Mr Winsor said: "Personally, I shall most strongly oppose such "an unjust method of distributing this I financial burden. Whilst the war is on the country has got to bear its share of war's burdens, and it is the clear duty of our Legislature to see that this liability is equally distributed. Now, ][ have been looking for an increased energy 'on the part of these same legislators, but with the exception of the Cabiiiet and a very few ordinary members of Parliament, we still find the great majority of our representatives arguing and worrying over their own pet schemes of purely local importance, and when (one mentions matters in connection 1 with war taxation to them they discuss it for a few minutes in-a semi-detached maimer, and almost immediately revert to the aforementioned pet schemes: Now, these members are paid by the people to study our best interests and to do our executive work. What words of wisdom and advice do they give us when they condescend to appeab amongst us? What personal example of sacrifice do the majority set? Their advice to us in the towns is: 'Get yourselves organised. Sacrifice" your time, your labour, and your money to help the Government and the Empire. At the same time exercise the most rigid economy, but give, give, give! Your Government needs it all, and will take it all, but you must do all the work and find all the money. We will look on andj assist you—with words.' I "That is about all the assistance ! we get from the majority of our chosen leaders at this time. . . . The -Government have the power, to raise all the money and men required. Why are they not bold enough to use this power, and thus leave the j laymen and business men free to go oil with their own efforts at producing wealth which the Government can tax, instead of having to devote their time and energies to organising work which should be done by the amazing number of nonproducers who form the executive of the people and their huge staffs of well-equipped Civil Servants fully equipped for the work? In a word, all these patriotic, Red Cross, Belgium, Serbian, and Liverpool Funds could be raised by one tax covering and affecting every moneyreceiver in the Dominion, and without a scrap of additional cost to the people—a plain graduated income tax. Think of the money spent, the energy wasted, on (lie present cumbersome, unfair, and unjust method of raising the above funds. The same people are exploited at every additional effort to raise money." Mr Winsor went on to point out arguments against the imposition of a special borough tax for the raising of war funds, and the justice of direct taxation! by nieans Of an income tax for the purpose. The other members of the council expressed, their accordance with the Mayor's views.