The Waikato Times With which is Incorporated The Waikato Argus. THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 1926. THE COUNTRY'S BUSINESS

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16813, 3 June 1926, Page 4

The Waikato Times With which is Incorporated The Waikato Argus. THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 1926. THE COUNTRY'S BUSINESS

The details of the revenue are being dribbled out two months after the financial year closed, and it is time that some member asked why it is so long after the dale that these facts arc disclosed? In Britain, where tho amounts handled arc mucli larger, it is found possible, to bring forward (he Budget some months earlier than we do, and at the same lime to supply the details which we are only receiving. If Mr Coatcs desires to live up to his reputation for improving departmental methods lie might look into the Treasury and make some enquiry respecting the cause of the delay. If this were the first lime it had taken place we might have been inclined to think that there was a certain amount of shyness in publishing some of the returns. Land tax, income tax, death duties, beer duty are all smaller than the previous year, but the rise in customs duties more than makes up for these shortages and brings up the total taxation to £700,000 more than last year. The customs taxation re-

presents £6 6s per head of population as compared with £5 Us paid last year and the tolal tax revenue is equal to £l2 0s 3d per head, compared with £ll lis Od for the year before. Great Brilain is more heavily taxed than New Zealand, but is the one and only country that extracts more from the pockets of its citizens. It is not only that our taxation is high; it is imposed in the most unscientific manner. It is arranged to fall with especial severity on the poorer members of the community, and on those who arc endeavouring to bring up a family. £0 Gs per bachelor is not a crushing impost, but £0 Cs per head for a man and his wife and three children becomes a serious matter. Most people quieten their conscience by thinking that poor people do not pay very much in customs duties because they cannot spend much, but such a belief is entirely mistaken. A poor man'3 family takes as much bread as a rich man's; probably more, and bread and flour are heavily taxed. Poor people do in fact pay duty on a larger percentage of their expenditure than rich people, and as they save less they pay on a larger proportion of their income. We arc then raising half of our tax revenue in a manner that bears with especial severity on those with the smaller incomes. Moreover while other sources of revenue arc falling tho customs returns steadily increase. Wo arc constanty adjured to buy local goods, and the makers of these goods are constantly asking for more prolection. Thoy do not sec that protection increases the cost of the wages they pay, and makes it difficult for them to compete. The latest applicants for increased protection are lemon growers, who allege that they are undersold by Italy. There is probably no area in the world better situated for the growth of citrus fruit than the North of Auckland and it should be exporting largo quantities. The growers, however, prefer a small trade at an artificially high price to a large trade at world prices. They .are like the wheal growers. It does not require any great foresight to sec what our condition will be if every form of production is to take this line. At present the high cost of work, both wages and materials, is hindering both settlement and improvement, and in consequence we have unemployment on an unusual scale. We arc constantly told that New Zealand is the most prosperous corner of the Empire, and certainly there is no excuse for increased unemployment. It is obvious that our leaders are leading us wrong. They are wedded to the idea of keeping up prices which is an entirely mistaken policy in a country which lives by the sale of its produce abroad at world prices. The producer finds that whatever he lias to buy Is dear and whatever he has to sell is cheap. The price of what he buys is artificially inflated by protection and a paper standard currency, and for both of these the Government is responsible. We have had no one who has shown any grasp of the country's finance for years, and we are still carrying on the old methods including the annual loan in Loudon. We are told that money is for productive works, but the railways do not profess to earn as much as is paid for money even after throwing the cost of the non-paying lines to the Consolidated Fund. These lines are kept open for political purposes;, that is to secure the votes of those who represent the district for the Government. It is anything but right, however, to call on the country to pay for party funds. In addition to paying for these unprofitable lines the Government arc giving the railways credit for a sum which is said to represent the nctt profits of the railways since they began running; though they overlook the fact that it was only by charging the railways 33 per cent, interest that any profit whatever could be shown. The Departments want overhauling. Few of the Ministers are capable of exercising any supervision, and in consoquence there is no one to whom officers arc responsible. Yet no man is fit to run without control. We are bureauratic at the present time and growing more so. Our taxation is especially high, and at the same time is so adjusted as to make special demands on those least able to pay. The Government are satisfied with themselves because they have a very large majority but the country will not be equally pleased if they prove incapable of handling the business, and especially if they adopt the socialistic ideas of the Labour Party that they denounced so loudly at the last election.