Over £18,OOO in Taxes
p. 14 · Read in the full issue
From G. and E. Colony
NATIVE residents of the Gilbert and Ellice and Phoenix Islands have re ceived their tax assessments for 1947.
These consist of a proclamation in the WPHC Gazette; medium of payment is copra.
The landowners of the Gilbert Islands this year have to provide 502 tons of copra; the Ellice Islanders are let off with 89 tons, and the Phoenix Group with a tax of 20 tons.
Provision is made that no landowner should be required to pay any portion of the tax in respect of any land that has sustained war damage. However, this seems only to throw an extra burden on the rest of the community which, in this year of copra boom, will contribute hand somely to the coffers of the WPHC.
Calculating copra at £3O per ton, the Gilbertese will be paying about £15,000 in taxes; the Ellice Islanders about £2,7C0 and the Phoenix Islanders about £6OO.
Under the Taxation Ordinance of 1923 it is permissible for the WPHC to levy a tax of up to 600 tons of copra upon these islanders. Market price of copra does not seem to be taken into considera tion. Whether it is bringing £5 per ton (as it was a few years ago), or the high prices of to-day, landowners appear to have to provide approximately the same tonnage.
Dr. R. J. Snodgrass has been appointed Deputy Director of Medical Services in Fiji. He has been on the staff of the Medical Department since November, 1927, and has served as a medical officer in many parts of the Colony.