MINISTER DEFENDS TAXATION POLICY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18467, 19 May 1928, Page 2

MINISTER DEFENDS TAXATION POLICY.

BURDEN OF WAR DEBT DECREASES SLOWLY, SAYS MR M’LEOD. (Special to the “Star.”) WELLINGTON. May 19. Criticism levelled at the Government in respect of income tax adjustments made last year was replied to by the Minister of Lands (the Hon A. D. M’Leod) when addressing the Reform League last night. Mr M’Leod referred to the financial responsibilities tile Dominion had incurred as the outcome of the Great War, and pointed out that the Reform Party ■was well aware its own supporters would be the ones most largely affected by the adjustments. Apart from many indirect nancial responsibilities as the result of the war, there was in many indirect financial responsibilities of finding annually £5,000,000 for debt interest and war pensions alone, a responsibility which was only slowly reducing itself. He had discussed the various increases in the schedule with several of his personal and political friends, and viewed in the light of post-w-ar taxation as against pre-war, he had not found one able to that, considering what intervened in those years, and compared with the taxation burden all were being asked to carry, they had reasonable grounds for complaint. In the case of the income tax payer who paid 5s in 1927 and 15s in 1928, the percentage of increase would be 300, but in fact it would just about pay for one seat at the opera, or a very mild flutter on the “gee-gees.”