FARMERS’ UNION

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLV, Issue 10168, 24 July 1924, Page 3

FARMERS’ UNION

DOMINION CONFERENCE. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 23. The Dominion Conference of the* Farmers’ Union was continued to-day. It was resolved: ‘*Tliat as tlie policy of the Fanners’ Union is the establishment of flic co-operative marketing, of the primary produce of the Dominion,, and also" a co-operative shipping, line this conference instructs the Dominion executive to confer with the Sheepowners’ Federation with a view to obtaining such control over the wool trade as will secure all possible ? trade for oui proposed shipping line. It was resolved: “That all. municipal trading concerns he liable to taxation. ” , It was resolved :. “That the companies income-tax be abolished, and replaced by an individual graduated income-tax ” , . , The Commissioner of Taxes attended by request, and made some comment on the following remit:. “That the system of collecting overdue land tax be investigated, it having come under notice that a demand had been made alter five years bad elapsed, the property meantime having changed hands three times.” Mr Clark explained that the provision was the old one in the Act It means that- the land tax followed the land. The reason why there had been some hard cases of late was that a lot of people fell into, arrears clurimr the war and just after it, and the Department endeavoured to give them a chance, finally the Depaitment had come on the mortgagee, it being utterly hopeless to collect the- tax from those who had defaulted Ihe provision was characteristic of all land tax laws, and as far as lie could see would have to be retained. The remit was withdrawn. Various remits on the question oi the land and income-taxes borne by farmers were discussed, and the following resolution was adopted: inis conference is of opinion that a land tax discourages production and should be replaced by a farmers’ income tax. The conference also resolved: “Whatever the attitude of individual members might be towards either land or income- tax, this conference agiees that under no circumstances can it support dual taxation in the shape- of both land and income tax, and uiges the executive to use every means m its power to prevent such a catas Remits were adopted urging the review of stamp duty on mortgages to crive- relief to mortgagors, especially m view of the early lilting of the moratorium, and the reduction of stamp duty on conveyances and mortgages. The following remits were passed:— That- the Government he strongly urged to undertake- without any unnecessary delay an adequate scheme of immigration and land settlement, so as to take full advantage of the Imperial Empire Settlement Act, 19 and develop the waste lands of the Dominion. „ , , ~, That in all schemes of land settlement it be the policy of -the Government to provide adequate transport facilities before placing settlers on. the land. Where blocks of land are being held for encouragement of immigration and close settlement, they should be exempt from land tax during such limited time as an. approved annual amount of capital is being expended for purposes of development. That in the opinion of this meeting of farmers it is unwise and impolitic, for the Farmers’ Union to engage in the strife of party politics, and that only general politics as they. affect tiie life" and well-being of the primary producers of the whole community should he touched on by the Farmers Union. That the Government . he urged to adopt a more progvessiye policy ot financial advances on farm mortgages as adopted by the State Advances to S lSr »wa y tariff be not use! for protective purposes. That this conference considers that where estates were purchased hv the Government for soldier settlements the Crown should refund tp local bodies the loss of rates sustained by the inability of the settlers to meet then liabilities.