AGRICULTURE.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16881, 8 July 1920, Page 8

AGRICULTURE.

CONFERENCE OF NEW ZEALAND COUNCIL. (mexss association TELEGRAM.> WELLINGTON, July 7. The seventh annual conference of the Zealand Council of Agriculture 'was opened to-day by the Hon.'W. iJosworthy, Minister of Agriculture, •who reviewed tho position of the Dominion's premier industry. He said . that with the close of the Imperial commandeer New Zealand Was in a difficult position as regarded shipping, and a return to tho methods before the war •was necessary to cultivate with energy the old markets, and with enterprise to look for new ones. Ho referred to , America, especially. With the releaso - of .a great deal of shipping from Australia on account of the drought, which - forbade export, there would be more shipping available for New Zealand. Ho believed there would be more shipping available' and offering than Now Zealand could utilise, even with the large amount of frozen meat in store. Thero •was every prospect now of an adequate supply of phosphates from Nauru Is- , land ns soon as shipping was available. The Department was making arrangements for opening up lime deposits, and for tho importation of potash. The sheep position required attention. Tho number of breeding ewes, according to last year's return, was less than in any year sinoo 1912, and the slaughter of stock for export and local consumption was a record last year. Thero was a satisfactory increase in dairy cattle, and . th© Department was paying attention •to the raising of pigs. With regard to wheat-growing, he was hopeful that a great deal larger area had been sown last autumn, and would be 6own before . the season closed. It behoved them to l>e self-reliant, and not to depend on • Australia for foodj The wheat yield last season was very high per acre, but -.wo must be prepared for bad seasons, "and it should not be necessary for us to go.outside. New. Zealand must be selfsupporting for its food supplies. The attitudo of Australia with regard to tlie embargo on New Zealand potatoes showed that this country must look after itrelf. He believed that the settlement of soldiers on the land would prove a great "blessing to the Dominion. Mr John Turnbull, of Waikaka, was i elected president of the Council. The Council decided, on the motion of a Taranaki delegate, that good land . should be bought and cut up into small farms from 10 to 30 acres, it being the general opinion of the country that tho ! assistance the Government is giving to house-building in the towns Will tend to induco people still more, to live in j xhe towns. 'Hie following remit, also from Taranaki, was adopted:—"That the land valuations cf the Government are npt satisfactory, and the small farmers are ■ being penalised, as the land in the moro closely settled districts is being valued jnore frequently than in districts where j land is held in large areas. All land | .throughout the Dominion should be - valued for taxation purposes regularly, and in order." Mr F. Young (Gore) moved: "That -»the same amount of depreciation bo . sillowed as.a deduction from income ascessment to farmers as to business peo- " jje, irrespective of whether a farmer Keeps proper books or not, and that the basis of depreciation be the value of all " improvements, as under the Valuation Department.'' The mover pointed out that depreciation was only allowed if books were Tkept by double" entry, and was practically "a fine on farmers. There was i lot one farmer in a thousand who kept

books that would satisfy the .authorities. In comparison with a business man, depreciation was very much greater with a farmer, especially "in regard to fencing. The farmer had neither the time nor the business ability to indulge in an elaborate svstem of bookkeeping. Sir. James Wilson questioned whether the income tax on the farmers was intended to be a permanent imposition; it was merely imposed to tide the country over the war. He feared that if the remit was carried it would tend to indicate to the Government that the farmers were satisfied that the tax should) remain a permanent one. Sir Walter Buchanan was of the opinion that neitliej the Conference nor farmers generally were going to ask the Government at this juncture to remit any war taxation. The Conference would, however, be entirely in the right in pointing out to the Government that in many cases the incidence of taxation as levied was not a fair one.

After further discussion, the remit was adopted, with the addition of tho words, "during the operation of the farmers' income tax as a war tax, holding it was not fair to require a farmer to pay taxes on his mortgage on which he m any case had to pay interest." A Taranaki delegate moved the following remit "That the Government be urged to amend the legislation regarding taxation to ensure that the taxpayer is not taxed on his mortgage debts." The remit was carried. The necessity for opening aip new markets for New Zealand produco with particular reference to America was urged during a brief discussion on tho following remit, which was unanimously adopted: "That, owing to the world' shortage of foodstuffs, the Government bo asked to allow 'the freest exchange of all produce." On the ground that wheat growers were not adequately represented, the Conference affirmed a remit from JEllesmere that better representation be given to A. -and P. Associations when conferences were arranged between tho Government and those representing tho different farming interests. The Conference will sit again tomorrow.