Farmers Report On Findings Of Sheep Commission

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23217, 31 March 1950, Page 6

Farmers Report On Findings Of Sheep Commission

PRIORITY ITEMS “\y iTH only a few exceptions, Federated Farmers approves of the recommendations which were made by the Royal Shcepfarmine Commission in its report,” states a release from Federated Farmers of New Zealand, submitting its opinions on aspects of the report and respectfullv asking the Government to take steps to carry out- the recommendations approved as soon as possible. The first 17 items in the following extracts from the memorandum were considered bv Federated Farmers to have claim on first priority, and the recommendations should be implemented immediately. The recommendations of the commission on the following matters have been approved by Federated Farmers, except where specified or amended or supplemented:— 1. (a) MARGINAL LANDS BOARD: Should be four farmer representatives on the board who should be appointed bv the Minister of Lands on the recommendation of Federated Farmers, (b) Constitution of Marginal Lands Com mittees: Farmers representatives should be appointed bv the Minister of Lands on the recommendation of Federated Farmers, and chairman elected by members of committee.

2. CROWN TENURE.—(a) Classification and Re-grouping: Any plan for re-grouping should reauire the approval of local committees appointed by the Minister of Lands after consultation with Federated Farmers in the place of the approval of the Sheep Industry Board as recommended by the commission, (b) Provision for Appeal, (c) Representation of Tenants: The “other two persons” referred to should be appointed bv the Minister on me recommendation of Federated Farmers. (cl) Endowment Leases: The whole Question should be investigated further before any recommendations were made to the Government. 3. FERTILISERS.—(a) Standard Price at Farm Gate: Recommendations supported, but method (d) preferred, (b) Development Plan: Special committee should elect its own chairman. 4. AERIAL TOPDRESSING: Experiments should be pursued by the committee at present responsible for them under control of the Soil Conservation Council 5. KEAS. fi. SNOW LOSSES.

7. TAXATION.—(a) Land Tax. (b) Income Tax: Farmers should be given the option of treating their livestock for tax purposes as either capital stock or trading stock, as was the position in the United Kingdom, (c) Death Duties: Recommendations did not go far enough The present high rates of death duties in many cases imposed a crippling burden on the land and that death duty rates should be reduced substantially in order to prevent the land being impoverished. High death rates tended to cause farmers to over-farm or under-maintain their land in the later years of their lives for the purpose of providing for estate and succession duties which became payable on their deaths. 8. LAND VALUES. —The recommendation that the basis of pegging land values be reviewed was supported, but Federated Farmers could not agree with the recommendation that values should be based on an average over a period of. say, 10 years. Current physical controls on the. sale of farm land should be abolished and any possible inflation could be avoided by financial controls, such as: (a) By limiting the amount of mortgage that could be charged against the value of land when purchased to a fixed percentage of the Government valuation of that land; (b) by levying a transfer tax on the profit that accrued from a land transaction within a short interval after a previous transaction involving the same land, provided that that would not applv in the case of death or improvements. !). FARM TRAINING SCHEME: There was no need' to constitute the primary production councils, as it was considered that Federated Farmers could administer any scheme satisfactorily. 10. RURAL HOUSING: Farmers should be able to obtain finance under the Rural Housing Act at interest rates similar fo those allowed the State Housing Department for State rental houses. 11. EDUCATION. 12 RATES.

13. ACCESS ROADS. 14 RABBITS: Further steps' should bo taken to decomtnercialise the rabbit industry. The policy of the Rabbit Destruction Council had the federation’s complete backing and it was considered the council should expedite energetically its policy for establishing killer boards. 15. NOXIOUS WEEDS.

tfi. RURAL RETICULATION: In addition to Diesel plant any other plant also should be used in isolated areas.

17. RESEARCH AND SHEER DIVISIONS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. — (a) Research: The federation could not agree that all such research and extension work should be subiect. to the sole direction of the DeDartment of Agriculture. Both research and extension work should be co-ordin-ated bv a Dominion-wide supreme council which would embody all organisations doing research work. (l>) Sheep Division: It could not agree that there should be a sheep division of the Department of Agriculture. Other Uems supported by or commented upon in the memorandum were matters within the portfolio of various Ministers of (lie Crown.