BRISBANE AND SYDNEY

Taranaki Daily News, 22 September 1931, Page 2

BRISBANE AND SYDNEY

EFFECTS OF HEAVY TAXES. STATE ART UNION CRAZE. "The best part of Queensland at present is its climate,” said Mr. A. J. Parker, of Auckland, who returned this week after playing in the Australian bowling tournament recently held in Brisbane. “We were there for nine weeks and never saw rain.”. The depression has hit Brisbane hard, according to Mr. Parker, There was a great deal of unemployment and work amongst the staff of the Brisbane City Council was rationed. “It is Baid,” he continued, "that Brisbane is the most prosperous city in Australia. That is only due to the action of the people, who, rightly, are doing their best to boost Brisbane.” Taxation was killing business in Queensland. The people were taxed from 12s Cd to 14s in tlie £l. Enterprise was dead, the shops were doing nothing and things o morally were in a bad way. In Sydney, where Mr. Parker stayed for a short period, matters were even worse, he said. He had an amazing experience last Monday week, when the State Savings Bank was to be re-open-ed. He went into the street early in the day and came across a queue of people, some 2000 strong, lined three deep down the footpath. He naturally assumed that their intention was to reinvest their savings. He said to one man: “Are you going to put your money back again?” The man replied: “Yes; I have put it there before, and 1 will do so again.” Taikina to another man in the queue shortly after, Mr. Parker found that, instead of -aiting to put their money into the bank, t people were lined up waiting to invest in the New South Wales lottery. All day long the queue was there, and an enormous amount was subscribed. Mr. Parker estimated that at least half the people in the queue were on th dole. Some of them were in bare feet, and probably all they owned in the world was the 5s to buy a ticket in the art union. "The State art unions have been an enormous success in New South Wales,” said Mr. Parker. “That is what we want in New Zealand, I am convinced. From my experience there I am certain that people, no matter how hard up they may be, are always willing to invest in a scheme which might bring them wealth quickly.”