UNPLEASANT NEWS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19867, 15 June 1927, Page 9

UNPLEASANT NEWS

INCREASE IN TAXATION PROBABILITY DISCUSSED BY MINISTER (Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, Juno 14. The possibility of an increase rathei thau a decrease in taxation in Newi Zealand was mentioned in a letter from the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Dowuie Stewart, received at a meeting of the council of the Chamber of Commerce to-day. The Minister wrote acknowledging receipt of the Chamber’s protest against the Government's failure to reduce taxation in view of a Budget surplus. He stated that he had tried to make it clear in his speech at Feilding how the surplus had come about, and that it could not possibly be a basis on which to justify reduced taxation, more especially in view of the outlook which might quite possibly call for increased taxation if the finances of the country were to be kept on a proper basis. However on the question of any increase in taxation this should not be regarded as a considered opinion. The chairman, Mr A. G. Lunn, remarked that they had asked for a reduction and the Minister talked of an increase. A difficulty was that they did not know whether tho surplus was real or merely a paper one Mr H. Hudson said he had brought the matter to the attention of the Taxpayers’ Federation, which had better facilities for the investigation of Government accounts than any other body.

The matter was referred to the executive for consideration.