FARMERS' CONFERENCE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 149, 24 May 1928, Page 8

FARMERS' CONFERENCE.

RESOLUTIONS AT HAAIILTON.

Per Press Association

HAAIILTON, May'24

“The railways are being used surreptitiously for protective purposes without the authority of Parliament,” said Captain Rushworth (Kaitaia) when protesting at the provincial Farmers’ Union Conference against differential railway charges on domestic and imported fodders, timber and cement. The. conference passed a remit protesting against differential charges. Captain Rushworth quoted linseed meal, which, besides paying a duty of 50 per cent, (or 20 preferential) paid 57s 9d per ton for 100 miles of rail freight against 13s Cd on Dominion meal. Foreign timber paid a duty of 5s to 7s 6d per 100 feet sand also 50 per cent, added railway freights. The conference passed further remits protesting against the high hospital levy and asking the Government to provide larger subsidies or meet the needs out of the national funds; urging lower rural telephone charges; opposing embargoes on foodstuffs, considering that any encouragement to grow _ cereals should be in the form of subsidies; supporting the principle of income taxation as an entirely sound and , Just means of raising revenue when applied to the individual; calling upon the Government to remove the duties on blitter, meat, cheese and similar agricultural produce, such duties being unnecessary and liable to create a wrong impression, urging that the principle of taxation of the divisible surplus of companies he abolished. The conference strongly protested against reducing income taxation while customs duties remain high. A remit that the conference oppose daylight saving was lost.