A SUMMING UP

Hokitika Guardian, 30 September 1929, Page 7

A SUMMING UP

, OPPOSITION TO LAND TAXES. i_ PRIME’ MINISTER'S SURVEY. WELLINGTON, Sept. 27. At the emd of the third day’s delate on the Taxation Rill Sir Joseph Ward took half an hour in the House to-day lo review the opposition both inside and outside Parliament.

He would not be doing his friends opposite any injustice, he said, when ho told thorn lie was quite familiar with what had been going on outside and inside Parliament since the legislation came down.

Mr Coates* That’s the old story

Sir Joseph Ward: As a matter of fact an effort lias- been made through fhe Farmers’ Union to create an impression that this Rill contains proposals, hostile to the farmers. There arc 80.000 of them, 55,0C0 of whom pay taxes, and of that total the number of farmers we touch with this Bill is 2100, and L am asked to believe that this 2400 have the influence of the eighty thousand. As a matter of fact in my own'district the other day there was a meeting of the Farmers’ Union which passed a resolution asking that the Bill should be withdrawn. They wired that to me and the answer went back asking them to put me in touch with two popple in their district affected by it. Mr A. Hamilton: Don’t look at me I did net do it.

(Sir Joseph Ward: You look guilty fLnughterb A guilty conscience. So fn.r they have not sent me one example. Mr Hamilton; Ho is here now.

Sir Joseph Ward: He was not sent by telegram. I asked them to present the names of, two people affected and they could not send one. 1

REFORM AND INCOME TAX

The Prime Minister reminded the House that it was the present Leader of the Opposition who two years ago increased income tax iby 38 per cent on incomes of £6OO, and varying between that and 24 per cent on incomes up to £2OOO, yet his party was stigmatising the land tax as class legislation though Tie imposed higher in| omo -tax on the small contributor. During that time of excessive increase in income tax the land tax increased by only 20 per cent. Yet those people had the political audacity to stand uip and waste the time of the House with protests, when they wore responsible for the imposition of excessive taxation on small income earners. In responding to -the 'roar of a minority outside Parliament Mr Coates and his friends had been carried away by a minority. There had been no agitation amongst the farmers. '

Reform Members: You are wrong. Sir Joseph Ward: W e have heard of these statements about thousands of farmers being interfered with, but it is absolutely contrary to fact. Mr Lysnar: They are all indirectly affected. Sir .Tosenh Ward: That’s the ua-’ol bogus bunkum. (Loud laughter). The large landowners have preached that nonsense, but they are simnly. asking the small farmers to sacrifice themselves for the large landowners. Turning to some of the detailed criticism Sir Joseph Ward described tiro member , for Mid-Canterbury as the most, furious speaker he had listened to. He misrepresented in ( cvery half dozen sentences and did not, seem to know it. He talked of 260 faimers being affected in one county. •There were not 260 farmers in anv electorate who would be affected by higher taxation.

MR SPEAKER CALMS THE ATMOSPHERE. The Prime Minister’s remarks had been followed with constant interruption from the Reform benches, and Mr v Speaker had to intervene. “Members,” he said, “are interrupting at the end of every sentence. I know there is considerable feeling, and though I do not want to be hard on members, if this continues I will ha-io to stoo all interruptions, as some of the internet,ions are not reasonable. Sir Joseph Ward concluded his remarks by reminding the House of the repeal of income tax on landowners by n former Government, declaring lie would never agree to it while in the National Government, for this legislation. relieved a section of the community from payment of their fair share of tlio cost of the war, and it ], a d been maintained till the present day. The Reform Opposition need not run away, with the idea that the present taxation legislation was introduced just for fun.