PROHIBITION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16820, 24 August 1922, Page 4

PROHIBITION.

A PROBLEM FOR PARLIAM ENT. WOULD LOSS OF REVENUE RESULT? (Special to tlm et Star.”} WELLINGTON. August 23. The member for Waiyau told the Prime Minister to-day that it was hi* bounden duty to have given a lead in his Budget to the people, who wished to know what would happen to the public finance if prohibition were carried in December. Mr Massey: If prohibition is carried we would call Parliament together. Mr M’Callum went on to say that although there were people anxious that ‘ this terrible traffic ” should be sup pressed conditions were such that the Finance Minister should have warned the country that it would be an extremely dangerous thing to carry prohibition. If it was carried they should know where the 24 millions of lost tevenue from liquor would be made up *1- gould come either from reducing the income tax exemption to £2OO and making a levy on Government and other debenture holders with large incomes. The Prime Minister, he knew, would call this confiscation but all taxation wa* the s&me. He regretted that the Prime Minister lacked courage to deal in the Budget possibility of prohibition being carried. He seemed to prefer Mr Asquith’s policy of ei wait and see.” Mr Massey: Do you want me to tell them how to vote? (Laughter). Mr M’Callum: You cannot dictate to people how to vote, but you could tell them th© consequences you have not the courage to tell the peolo that in two years of prhibition, the loss of revenue in America was 25.000,000 dollars, and New Zealand’s loss annually would be £250,000.