STAGGERING SUMS.

Observer, Volume XXXVII, Issue 49, 11 August 1917, Page 2

STAGGERING SUMS.

The Reeling of the Intellect. WHEN in the old days Sir Julius Vogel spoke of raising a one million pounds loan the mind ofN.Z. staggered at the. awfulmess of the figure. When Sir Joseph Ward' proposes a loan of twelve million® sterling aftej a last yearns' little lot of sixteen millions nobody staggers. Few of us can imagine a million pounds. Some ingenious mathematician has said that this interesting sum is represented by ten tons of golden sovereigns. The chancellors of the nations' ex chequers speak of hundreds of millions as the mere human unit talks of half crowns. Oceans of figures mean nothing to the average man. H. G. Wells's "Kipps" idea of a great sum couldn't soar above £100. That to him was the acme of tempestuous wealth. There are plenty of Kippses about. In. piling up responsibilities for our great-grand-chikken and their great-grandchil-dren the State also has to pile up cash to "carry on." Our share in the war is relatively more expensive than the share of any old country engaged. We have (quite rightly) assessed the cash value of a. soldier at a higher rate than Britain.

No New Zealander who is to have the new taxes imposed on him or "passed on" by the gentleman directly taxed is iikely to quarrel witfh the principle of giving the soldier his relatives and dependents the best possible financial deal. A mere glance at the figures in Sir Joseph Ward's Budget gives one a stagger. It seems incredible that a. country with the population, of a large town is wealthy enough to find the extra taxationi to be levied, or that each person in N.Z. is able to find twelve pounds for a new loan. The imagination reels at the idea of some men having twelve pounds at one time. A favoured few will find that twelve millions—and there's the point. It is incorrect to say "The people of N.Z. are wealthy." It is correct to say "there are wealthy people in N.Z." It has been found impossible to collect the excess profits tax from these wealthy people and therefore the tax is dropped. In some instances', the Budget will provide for these excess profiteers a further profit. Thus suppose you stick another threepence per pound on tea, and do not by legislation prevent the tea gentlemen from imposing 4d or 5d on the customer, you may be sure he will do it. He always does and praises God' in his Little Bethel for all His mercies.

There have been many (and presumably necessary) increases in taxation of edibles, drinkables and wearables. With the excess profits tax cut out the eater and the drinker and the wearer is delivered into the hands, of the seller who pays the* direct tax. The Government should make it an offence punishable with hard labour for any dealer in goods which carry the new increased taxes to increase this tax to the eater, drinker or seller with the hope of profit. The Government in imposing mew taxes knows exactly the Cost of the article it taxes and bases its tax on this knowledge. The Government therefore, in common justice to the eater, the drinker and the wearer, should set a maximum .retail price for every article taxed to protect the people from exploitation. It is inequitable in a country bursting with food we are unable to export that any edible or drinkable considered essential (with no reference to alcoholic liquors) should betaxed. Every tax will, of course, be "passed on." It remains for the Government to see that the passer on doesn't make it a super-tax which he' will assuredly do if he is not prevented —the "super" to go to his already well-lined and well-protect-ed pocket.

The irresponsible unmarried person who is. at home when his hat is on is again missed l as his income, if under £300, is not taxable, and in this con-

nection the Governmemt's attitude is always inexplicable. When it decided that its suffering civil servants should be awarded a war. bonus (on

the ground, one supposes, that as the civil service was doubled in, personnel there was more work, for the individual) it paid the bonus to the irresponsible unmarried 1 as well, including women. It is here seriously suggested that the- Government might make more money than it could do out of the tea-tax by stopping the war bonus to all unmarried civil servants and taxing bachelors and spinsters, too. The family man and wo-maiu are hit hard and often and the unmarried escape. The State declares that a man, ought not to possess a large family as it refuses to give exemption for children after a fourth child. Perhaps the State believes that children are of less importance than revenue. In: the inevitable struggle to retain N.Z. in the hands of White people women will be more than taxes and men than super-taxes. Perhaps politicians look ten years ahead and not ten shillings ahead—but it doesn't appear so. Bouncing figures seem more than, bouncing babies to the peculiarly twisted intellects of dabblers in paper millions.