COUNTRY PARTY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 249, 20 October 1928, Page 13

COUNTRY PARTY.

MB. OOLBEOK'I CAMPAIGN.

ABOLITION OF COMPANY TAX

URGED.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

TAURANGA, Friday.

Mr. F. Colbeck, the Country party's candidate for Tauranga, has addressed meetings at Taneatua, Awakeri, Te Puke, Paengaroa, Omokoroa, Te Puna and KatikatL He was given a cordial reception.

Mr. Colbeck stated that the Country party was not out as. a farmers' party only; its aim was toserve all interests. He claimed that instead of vote-split-ting, as was asserted by their opponents, the Country party was doing exactly the opposite by inducing the farmers to vote together.

The condidate combated the statement that the farmers had made their own troubles, especially the assertion, that the troubles of the fanners were due to the high price of land and business inefficiency. The Country party contended that the farmers' troubles were due to the high cost of labour, material and interest. It claimed ; that the cost of labour was hicrh simply because the cost of living had been raised, not naturallv. but by the law forcimr up the-prices of commodities. As legislation had brought "bout the rise, the Country, party claimed that legislation could also bring n.Tinut the necessaryreduction. ■

The two main factors in raisin? costs, in the Countrv party's view, "were protective taxation, through the Customs and the company tax. The Countrv party's proposals to rcmedv the evil were the prradiial abolition of On stoma, taxation on +he necessities .of life and the total abolition, of the company tex.

Mr. Colbeck dealt at leneth with dairy control, agricultural .banking, departmental exnenditure, rates, taxation and national debt. * V- "" ""