FARMERS' UNION.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 779, 28 July 1909, Page 5

FARMERS' UNION.

COLONIAL CONFERENCE. (Press Association). Wellington, Last Night. The colonial conference of delegates representing the provincial branches ol the New Zealand Farmer*' Union was opened in the Chamber of Oommorce to-day. Mr J. G. Wilson presided. President's Address. The president said he thought ihe year had been one of encouragement to them. The Arbitration Ooutt had refused tn make an award in the agricultural labourers' dispute. To tie downTarmers to certain hours would be to further increase the cost of living, and decrease the opportunities of making oue. If the inoome of the farmer was reduoed there would be less money to circulate, and therefore less work to do. THE LAND BILL OP 1907. The election of 1908 had been a trinmph for the views of the union. "Fighting Socialism at every turn, as we have don*," he said, "it was a source of gratification to us all, that the Socialistic element in the new House was decreased rather than inoreased: The returu of members pledged to the freehold was satisfactory-a majority °f tho House in favour of the freehold being returned. Iu politics it is not always the majority whioh wins, for this question has been burked iu two Parliaments, although in ,both cases there was a majority in favour of it. TAXATION INCREASING. Mr Wilson w«nt on to show that in ten years, from 1897-8 to 1907-8, taxation on land had increased from £267,286 to £537,846, In the same ten years general .taxation had increased from £3l3s 3d per head to £5 03 4d, an iuorease of more than 3 3-13 per cent. Altogether laud paid well nigh two millions sterling per year in taxes. Based on the number of laud-owners iu the Dominion, he calculated that eacli landowner paid taxes amounting to £l2 6s 7d per year, or £l7 6s lid if general taxation were added. MORTGAGE TAX. "It must be patent to. every one,," he said, "that the boirower pays the mortgage tax, but as mortgages are for stated periods of a number of years, it takeß some time before this" can be adjusted. One 1 important causo which has driven money ont of this ohannel was Mr McNab's foolish Land Bill. That Bill dealt a blow at the Beonrity of land for borrowing pnrposse from which it will take some time to reoover. It is to be hoped that people will not imagine that inconvertible paper, or,even convertible paper, is going to create wealth, and find money to ooutinue public works." A SERIOUS QUESTION. After alluding to several warnings uttered by the Premier that taxation might be inoreased, Mr Wilson proceeded :-• Octttimiedl en page 8.