[?]Any Other

A Tax By

Name ...!

From a Niue Correspondent “Aid to Revenue” Tax is what

t is officially designated, but the

Niueans know better. The new ax that was introduced to the >land on April 1 is simply in ome tax, and thus another of lie South Pacific’s “income tax ree paradise’s” bites the dust! rHE new tax imposes a flat rate of 6d in the £ on all wages, salaries nd business profits on Niue, and is new and novel thing for most fiueans. There is an income tax, nder that name, on Niue, but most hueans escape its net simply because heir incomes are not high enough.

But there are no exemptions to this me.

When the Assembly introduced the neasure it proposed that it be called lie “Wages and Salaries Tax”, which t is, but, after discussion, it settled or “Aid to Revenue Tax”, which it Iso certainly is!

More Taxation

There has been in existence for ome time an “Aid to Revenue Tax”, ffiich the new 6d in the £1 replaces.

Ids was in the form of a flat £1 a ear, and it did not take into account he ability to pay. In addition, every nale paid 2/6 a year “Aid to Old Copies Tax”.

The new measure will mean in creased taxation—for the Assembly lad in mind when it introduced it hat New Zealand wants to see the >eople in this territory make a higher contribution to their upkeep.

But it also means increased paper vork for ordinary people, as the first : ew weeks of the new tax has shown, rhe tax is pay-as-you-go, and people ;mploying house girls and gardeners low struggle with tax-deduction sheets!

Another change in the Niue social scene has followed a Government de cision to pay all its employees fort nightly instead of monthly. Govern ment employees are the major group nf wage earners on the island, which means that the hectic monthly pay

lay rush on the local stores will be i thing of the past.

On these days it has been almost mpossible for anybody else to get nto the stores.

RUGGED little Niue is to go in for cattle breeding extensively.

There are at present a few head )f stock at the Fonuakula Prison "arm, but as they are unable to keep ip with the heavy demand of people vishing to buy calves, more cattle are o be imported.

Cattle are, of course, ideal for keep ng coconut plantations clear but there lave been obstacles to their use on 4iue —the main one being the lack if water. Until last year water was ibtained from rain catchment, but hen bores were successfully drilled »n the island and that problem has >een solved.

Experiments over the years have >een carried out on pasture grasses »n land at Vaiea, and it has been ound that tropical species used ex ensively in Queensland do particularly /ell in Niue. The most productive ypes have been selected and com lined into one mixture to provide cattle pasture of high quality.

There are plans to establish an battoir so Niueans can buy fresh icat.

LfR. LESLIE REX, Niue’s Com munity Development Officer, has etired after 40 years’ service, the Dngest of any Government servant on hue.

He joined the Government as a jacher in 1923. In 1953, he was ppointed Government Interpreter, ffiile continuing his teaching career, or six years prior to his appointment s Community Development Officer i the Resident Commissioner’s office i 1963, Mr. Rex was organising iacher and inspector of schools.

Mr. Rex has been a Niue delegate to three South Pacific Conferences.