LAND TAX.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17295, 5 November 1921, Page 10

LAND TAX.

THE 10 PER CENT. OFF PROPOSAL. "FAEMERS CANNOT PAY." "I have been dealing with fanners for 44 or -id years. During the last few davs I have been up the West q.iast, 'and. have talked with many farmers, I know that, 10 per cent, off the land tax or no, a great number of farmers will not be able to pay I'y November 23th." This statement was made by Mr A. H. Miles (of Messrs Murray, Roberts, and Co.) at Wellington, on Wednesday (savs the "Dominion"), when referring to the Finance Act Amendment Jill now betore Parliament. He credited Mr Massey with a good intention m introducing the lk'l. i>"t J.cld that it was not going to give relief to ramiei* or help tne Government, as the 1 rune Minister probably supposed. "The onlv wav the ianner win be relieved," said Mr Miles, "is. for the Government to extend the time over which lie can nav without pena-ty—ex-tend it bv at least four months, Six would be'preferable. If it is thought that the financial firms and ( stock agents, such as ours r.nd Levin s ana Dalgoty's, are goins to pay the land tax for their farmer friends, a mistake is being made. These firms are carrying very heavv loads now, and cannot possibly take up fresh burdens Ihe relief will Live to come from the Government and the mortgagees, lno mortgagees are, of course, meeting them in the only possible way by extending the date of payments. i "The 10 per cent, reduction is on,y a reduction to the man who can payit means nothing to tne man who cannot—and the majority of the farmers cannot pav by November 23th. If it was a SO per cent, reduction they might mana.oe to scrape up the rest, but with a 10 per cent, reduction, they cannot hone to find the 90 per cent. "The only feasible plan whereby real relief can be offered to the farmer ib extending the time for him to meet Ins obligations. While I have been away I have met many farmers, honest men, who wish to do nothing so much as pay their way, but they say that unless the banks or their financial backers (the firms) stand to them., they will not be able to pay by November 28th. The only thing to do, if the Government wishes to nelp the fanner in his financial strait, is to allow him a few months' grace to realise on his wool and surplus stock. During the next six months I hope that the position will be relieved; and I feel confident that it will."

(PHKSS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, November 4. In the House of Representatives today, replying to Mr Wilford, Mr Mns©ey said he was not aware that the Land Tax Department was allowing -i rebate on land tax before the Bill had been, passed permitting such rebate. If they were {loins pq he did not regard such action as serious. It only went to show that the Department had confidence in the wisdom of the step proposed, which he knew had been most oordially received in all parts of the Dominion.