LATE DOMINION NEWS.

Mataura Ensign, 22 July 1914, Page 2

LATE DOMINION NEWS.

I THC FARMERS' UNION I

CONFERENCE IX AVELLIXOTOX

PEB UNTTHII I'RESS ASSOCIATION

WELLINGTON, July 21. i ThoNe.v Zeahuid Farmer:;' i'nio'i Con-: loreneo :«|v>t«l tin.' I'olla.vni" 1 emits to-1 clav : ' ' ;

Th.it tin- Uovei nment amend the Valuation Act in the direction of having tin- whole of tlk- special loans elated

hj? nnnieveincnis, ueuuetion of the repaid portJou only Ijein- allowed, eaeh pioperry-o vnei'i .share 10 be aseertaie,ed I y uin.talisiiic; tile succial rate paid, 'i'uat as the request method oi' vaiuatiou ;,; u:t?atisfactory the local Imilv ■should he cmp'Oirercd to appoint a man to act u.th the Oovei;iiucnt land valuer. -

. That the, mortgage tax he amended ;o that it will he on the same basis as the income tax. that tJie attention of the Government he (!;;!!'. II to the doiiraljlceo, -i of eiicucuau;!; •.; trade reciprocity uiihin tile Elilpil e. i'liai op and alter March ;il ..!' each real' the Kejo-'ti-ni- of Native l.aml.s- lie notified on all rales remaining umaid to earn local hinly, ami that the unpaid rates constitute a local charge u-ou the milive land, and .statutory | :,,\er lie c.ivon to icgisfer the amount against tile land.

'I he to-nhrht di.--eu.ssed the treasurer's report in (ommiUte and will resume the open sitt:i:g tu-murroiv.

LAND TAXATION,

YlK\\\S OF FAUMEISS

WELLINGTON .July '2l. There wes a discussion on lau'd taxation at the Maimers' L : *lt:i>ii Couiereuei' to-day win a .Mr E. .Maxwell (Tarauaki) moved, " I mil the cnnlei cnee laniiot ,-cv any-vald reason'why nuinev inve-itul in hind should be taxed ddfercntly lo money invested in ether industries; bin it it is nut taxed in this inamier the tax us .indicated in the remit previously sent in to the Dmuiiron Coniereuee be adopted, v.ss, '-That as the present sy=tem ol va.imii» land for taxation purposes has proved a complete fa h lire owins to Hie impassibility of accurately separat.no; the improved' from the unimproved value, this conference considers a much fairer and much simpler way would he to lax on the annual value w;t'i the same exemption,-.: as capital 'invested in other industries, the annual value to be o per cent, of "the capital." 'I he mover said that at present capital was only free from taxation to the extent ol ■!••)()() wh !e oilier lu-anehes of industry were exempt up to I'llKii) and the exemption of .1500 would d'sappea'under the graduated land tax. In Taranaki the uuesuoii Jiid been fuliy Souo into. The,/rate-book wits <j;one chrou!;li and it was found that laud wa.i most unjustly taxed. At pro-ent the exemption of .1500 was very small as compared with the exemption of '-'Mil in in,-.one.

Mr (k Sheat (North ('antei-buiy) allied where-the loss in ii-came wiss to li. made up. Ic. appeared lo him that tin. I'mincrs w.'ro Irving to ;-h ; rk their responsibilities.

Captain Colheek (Auckland) replied that it was not for the conrerenee to -ay liny t!ie Government was to nuke up the revenue. Farmers were suli'o.riug an injustice and it ought t > be removed.

-Air Sheat said that if the remit wore in lis present lorm it would be ■said that the farmers were a hit of Tories, seeking to free themselves of taxation irrespective of where Ihe revenue was lo caine Irani. "What about the worker ?" he asked. "Is he not to be considered •■"

t'anta : n Callback: I have nothing Ie do with the workman.

.Mr .McQueen (Invereargdl) thought the extra taxation should lm derived from incomes.

Mr 10. Campbell CWangnnui) sa : d that ii would Iv* to improve Ihe oon- ■ ditions and nut attempt to let thp.Clovorument to alter ihe whole policy of luxation. jNo Government could lip prevailed op. tp «o back to the property lax. M r Maxwell, in reply, said that the man .who took up land with little capital should he taxed to a greater extent than the man with capital. The ni'n who -considered improvements to his farm to be lo the detriment of his pergonal comfort was the one who was the greatest asset- to the State, and in order to protect him the remit was brought forward. The remit was carried by 13 votes to Novell.

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS BILL,

CATHOLIiCS' PROTEST,

■\VELLi:\i:iTOX. Julv 21

A Catholic demonstration was held in the Town Hall this evening under tiic auspices of the New Zealand Catholic federation, io protest against the l!e----ferendum Jiill on the liihle-in-schools (lucstion. Archbishop O'Shea, Bishop Geary'(of Auckland)' and others addressed, a largo gathering, ami. the following resolutions were adopic-,1: "That this mass nioeting of Catholics, made uj> of representatives and delegates from aft parts of the Dominion, respectfully asks- Parliament to .reject j lho itcljgious Instruction in Schools' Referendum Jiill now before ihe House. ! heoauso if carried it will affirm the I principle that the vote of a majority; may bo used to coerce the conscience's i of a minority, and because it will lead j to the situation.-of all the people being! liable to the teaching of religions ac- j eeptable to only sonic, of the people." "That- we pledge ourselves as Catholics to still further organise and | strengthen the Catholic Federation, that '• we may bo able to carrv on more elfec- I tively the light, against this unjust agitation until it is defeated." I