NEWS FROM THE CAPITAL

Taranaki Daily News, 11 February 1928, Page 15

NEWS FROM THE CAPITAL

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS REVIEW INCREASES IN EXPENDITURE SMALL RISE IN THE REVENUE. (From Our Own Correspondent.)Wellington, Feb. 8. The statement of the public accounts for the first nine mouths of tlie current financial year, -which will end on March 31 next, does not make very cheery reading for the long suffering taxpayer. The statement show- that while ‘the revenue for the nine months has increased by only £10,035 compared with the revenue for tlie corresponding period last year, from £16,128,220, that is, to £16,138,875, the expenditure has increased by £612,475, from £17,621,744 to £18,234,217. This means, in the familiar language of the counting house, that during the nine months the State’s income has declined by £601,818, and would have declined still further but f<fr a fortuitous increase in stainp and death duties which brought in £170,121 more than they did during the corresponding period last year. The main increases in the expenditure were £45,223 in the Department of Education, £29,290 in the Department of Agriculture, and a trifle of £18,645 in the Department of Defence. Just where the expenditure of the Department of Education is going to taper off no one ventures to epecuiate and the Minister in charge seems indisposed to furnish any information on the subject. POLITICS. Sir Joseph Ward, who came up from Christchurch last week to preside at the meeting held here for the purpose of protesting against th© erection of a railway pillar on th© Hutt Road, went South again by the ferry ©teamer last night. In the course of a conversation just before his departure, he said he still was in ignorance of the precise intentions of the various promoters of Liberal revivals. He noticed that Mr. George Forbes, the official head of th© “United Liberals,” was to speak in Auckland that night, and he hoped he would be able to propound som© practical scheme for bringing progressive people together upon a sound platform. As for himself, he had been quite ready to help towards this end at any time -during the last four or five months, but he feared the time for any effective action along tlie lines he had indicated had been allowed to pass. Judging from his general attitude, rather tlian from anything he actually said on the subject, Sir Joseph has abandoned all idea of leading a forlorn hope himself and will*be content to do what ho ean for his constituents and the country from big own isolated seat in the House. DAYLIGHT SAVING. The opponents of daylight saving, as expressed in Mr. Sidey’s Summertime Bill, appear to have taken heart of grace from the resolution of Hie Dominion executive of the Farmers’ Union denouncing the innovation. The resolution has been backed up by many letters in the newspapers and by organised demonstrations of a more or less tangible form in oflicr places. The statement made by tlie chairman of th© Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce to th© effect that he and many others who had warriily supported Mr. Sidey’s Bill had changed their minds as to its character and effects, and were determined to get rid of the measure as speedily as possible, is being iterated and reiterated throughout the country districts. The licensed victuallers ar© said to be giving a hand iu the assault upon the measure,-'their business, it is - alleged, having been prejudiced by th© growth of the out-of-door habit. Members of the “Trade” ridicule this story, declaring that their custom has- increased rather than declined since the introduction of daylight saving, and that any objection has been raised to earlier closing has been due to purely local conditions. However this may be, it is obvious the system will not be perpetuated without a very vigorous protest. COMPANY TAXATION. The Evening Post, in the course of a leading article, warmly supported Mr. J. G. Upton’s vigorous protest against inequitable incidence of the income tax. Th© Government, it points out, has been strongly urged by expert commissions of its own selection to readjust the incidence of the company tax so that investors in these concerns, instead of paying the maximum rate on their dividends, whether great or small, should pay only at the rate perseribed for their individual incomes, but it has pleaded that if it adopted this system it would be involved in a loss of revenue amountto about a million a' year. “Tlie very argument against the change,” tlie Post protests, “is one of the strongest arguments in its favour. It means that th© State is now taking a million a year from business which it should not be taking in that way.” A million a year, in other words, is being imposed upon large scale organisations, which servo a very useful purpose in providing suitable investments for thrifty people who are able to venture beyond bank deposits and State securities. Tlie Minister of Finance himself has admitted th© unfairness of the present system, hut because it is convenient to the tax-col-lector. it seems, the taxpayer is not to m co.-sider-d.