THE AMUSEMENT TAX.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 1162, 1 November 1917, Page 4

THE AMUSEMENT TAX.

THE PICTURE COMPANIES. PASSING ON THE TAX. Further conferences of representatives of the picture theatres in Christchurch were held yesterday with regard to the amusements tax, which comes into force to-day. There was considerahle division of opinion as to whether the tax should be passed on to the public or borne by the theatre proprietaries, but unanimity was approached after Mr Geoffrey Nye, representative of the New Zealand Picture Supplies, Ltd., who had come down from Wellington, had addressed the conference. Mr Nye pointed out that in the other centres the tax was being passed on to the public, and that any theatre in Christchurch which did not pass on the tax would be in a unique position in the Dominion. One picture proprietary which had been undecided on the question joined the majority in favour of the lax, but one company stood out. The directors of the one theatre which has not decided to pass on the tax are themselves divided on the subject. They are to meet again this afternoon. The tax does not affect admission charges of sixpence or less, and so it will not affect the public until the evening sessions commence at G p.m.. VAUDEVILLE CHARGES INCREASED. The vaudeville-loving public will be called upon to pay the amusements tax at His Majesty's Theatre, where the admission charges, therefore, will be from 1/1 to 2/7, instead of from 1/- to 2/(5, as in the past. The management of the theatre [joints out that although the tax amounts to only 8 1-3 per cent, of gross receipts, on shilling admissions, the net profits would be reduced by from 50 to CO per cent, unless the tax were passed on to the public, and so it is necessary to the existence of the vaudeville business to pass it on.. THE METROPOLITAN SHOW. As it is the intention of the Stamp Department to bring agricultural shows under the amusement tax, the Finance Committee of the Canterbury A. and P. Association has decided to ask the public paying 1/- at the gates to defray the tax. Arrangements will be made for the collection of the tax at the gates and grandstand. Seeing that agricultural shows are not profit-making concerns, the committee considered that the public would be patriotic and support the show, as well as contribute to the war fund. The charge for admission of adults will be 1/1, and for children 6d. It will facilitate matters at the gates if adults provide themselves with the one penny tax. RACING AND TROTTING CLUBS. The Canterbury Jockey Club and the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club will not pass on to the public the amusements tax at their meetings next week, but will bear the tax themselves. ITS OPERATION IN WELLINGTON THE PUBLIC TO PAY. [Special to The San.] WELLINGTON, November 1. The amusement tax operates from to-day. The Fuller Proprietary here have imposed an extra penny on every ticket, but the Royal Comic Opera Company are not charging the tax for the remainder of their season. It is possible that in future the charge for the dress circle and orchestral stalls for the J. C. Williamson's shows will be 6/6, the extra sixpence being calculated as sufficient to obviate the necessity of taxing the lower-priced tickets. All picture shows are adding the penny to the shilling circle tickets, and from this source, it is calculated that the Government will collect ten thousand pennies weekly. A conference of picture show proprietors was recently held, at which it was decided that the intention of the Legislature was that the theatre-goer and not the showman should pay the tax, and that they were therefore justified in passing it on.