BORROWING AND TAXES.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 August 1930, Page 14

BORROWING AND TAXES.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Let farmers git up if they have time between working hours, 4 a.m. to 8 p.m.. and a<sk what we borrow for? Well, we borrow to keep politicians in office by buying ..votes. Cut out borrowinc/ and down goes McGinty. Look at the following figures and you will see we are deeper in the mud than Australia an far as taxation goes:— Taxation Since 1900 (30 years). Customs and excise—Australia, £.193,000,000; New Zealand, 814Dlrect. —Australia, . £558,200,000; New Zealand, £155,290.712. Totals.—Australia; £1,151,200,000; New Zealand, £296,110,550.

Mean population for period.—Australia, 4,894,888; New Zealand, 1,115,834. That amounts to £235 3s 8d per head of Australian mean population and £265 7s 5d for New Zealand.'Australia paid £l2l 2s Hd per head ,in customs and excise duties and New. Zealand £I2G 4s. Direct taxes come to £ll4 Os 9d per head for Australians and £139 3s 5d for New Zealanders. New Zealand’s “tariff for revenue only” policy, while it undoubtedly has prevented the deveL: opment of manufacturing industries, has taken more out of the pockets of the people.—l am, etc., . BYSTANDER.