The Auckland Star. WITH WHICH ABB INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. FRIDAY, MAY 2, 1930. WHAT OF THE LAND?

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 102, 2 May 1930, Page 6

The Auckland Star. WITH WHICH ABB INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

FRIDAY, MAY 2, 1930. WHAT OF THE LAND?

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrong that needs res\stanot t For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do.

The details of the new taxation affecting farmers that the Minister of Public Works gave to the Parnell electors on Wednesday recalls a remarkable speech made in the House some years ago, when Mr. F. J. Rolleston, Reform member for Timaru, who later was raised to Cabinet rank, put most convincingly the case for levying income tax upon farmers. The Government of which he was a supporter had decided that exemption from income tax should be restored, and Mr. Eolleston was alone among Reformers in objecting to this step. That night Mr. Rolleston, by his courage and his cogency, raised hopes for his future career which were not fulfilled. Years passed, and the large landowner continued to enjoy the favour of the party in power. It was left to the United Party, as it had been left to their Liberal predecessors a generation before, to compel this class to pay its fair share of taxation. At the earliest opportunity Sir Joseph Ward increased the land tax on big estates and made the owners liable to income tax as an alternative.

The Minister of Public Works gave examples of how this dual system of taxation works. He cited examples of increased levy on the large landowner, and stated that £94,000. had been paid by farmers whose liability for income tax was greater than their liability for land tax. One may judge from this how much the country has lost in taxation during the years in which the farmer was exempt from income tax. All this time, of course, the town taxpayer has had to pay both taxes. Mr. Ransom's exposition and justification of this taxation, and his challenge to the Reform Party to say what it would repeal of the legislation passed last year, is the most; noteworthy contribution so far to the Parnell campaign. Mr. Ransom hit hard, but no harder than the facts warranted. The new taxation of last year he declared to be fully justified, because the country was bearing a heavy war burden, and it was only right that the large landowners, who made much money out of the war, should bear their fair share of the cost. Electors, he went on to say, should be ashamed to be represented in Parliament by any group which would fight against this measure as Reform had done.

We hope and believe that this will be remembered by electors next Wednesday. Reform has been wont to get very angry, and protest with virtuous indignation, when it is charged with being the friends of broad aci-2s, but its whole record shows most conclusively that the charge is true. Its opposition to last year's taxation proposals was.only one of a long series ,of convicting actions. Mr. Ransom has done a public service in drawing attention to this fresh proof of friendship for the squatter. He did well, too, to challenge Reform to say which of the enac:ments that are so sweepingly declared to bo injurious to the community it would repeal. Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P., made last night a sorry attempt to take up the challenge. There had never been, said Mr. Wright, any intention to repeal legislation; the trouble lay not so much in what the Government had done as in what it had left undone. This from a member of a party that was in office for sixteen years, to a party that has been in office for eighteen months, is a choice piece of impertinence. But are we to undei'stand that Reform is now prepared to let last year's taxation stand? Or is Reform determined, if it got the chance, t) remove the just imposts that have been levied upon its squatter friends? Whether Reform is prepared to answer these questions or not, the Parnell elector; will certainly ask them.