FARMERS’ UNION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 1075, 23 July 1924, Page 5

FARMERS’ UNION.

TAXATION QUESTIONS,

(Per Press Association),

WELLINGTON, July 23,

The Dominion Conference of the Farmers’ Union was continued to-day. It was resolved “that as the policy of the Farmers’ Union is the establishment of the co-operiitive marketing oh the primary produce of the Dominion, and also a co-operative shipping line, this conference instructs the Dominion executive to confer with the Sheepowners’ Federation with a view to obtaining such control over the wool trade as will secure all possible trade for our proposed shipping line.” It was resolved that all municipal trading concerns be liable to taxation, and that companies’ income tax bo abolished and replaced by individual graduated income tax. The Commissioner of Taxes attended by request and made some comment on the following remit: “That the system of collecting overdue land tax be investigated, it having come under notice that a demand had been made after five years had elapsed, the property in the meantime having changed hands three times.”

Mr Clark (the Commissioner) explained that the provision was an old one in the Land Tax, Act. It meant that the land tax followed the land. The reasn why there had been some hard cases of late was that a lot of people fell into arrears during the war and just after, and the department endeavoured to give them a chance. Finally the department had to come on the mortgagee, it being utterly hopeless to collect tax from people who had defaulted. The provision was characteristic of all land tax laws, and as far as he could see would have to be retained. The remit was withdrawn. Various remits on the question of the land and income taxes borne by the farmers were discussed and the following resolution was adopted: “This conference is of the opinion that the land tax discourages production and should be replaced by a farmers’ income tax.’’ The conference also resolved that “whatever the attitude of individual members towards either a land or an income tax this conference agrees that under no circumstances can it support dual taxation in the shape of both land and income tax, and urges the executive to use every means in its power to prevent such a catastroplie.”Remits were adopted urging a review of stamp duty on mortgages so as to give relief to mortgagors, especially in view of the early lifting of the moratorium, and also a reduction of stamp duty on conveyances and mortgages.