THE LAND TAX.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 2123, 15 May 1922, Page 4

THE LAND TAX.

Some branches of the Farmers’ Union are asking that the income tax be abolished, so far as it affects the rural population, and that the land tax alone be collected. This, wo maintain, is a retrograde and inequitable proposal. The farmer should be in the same position as every other person who contributes to the appropriation funds of the State. Ho shoxikl pay according to his ability to do so. and not according to his supposed capital interest in property. The experience of the last twelve months has shown that many of the farmers are producing nothing beyond living expenses, Why should these be asked to contribute to the same amount in land tax as though they were producing handsome profits? One might as well tax a man who is out of work on the' capital value of the house in which he is Irving. The system under which land tax is levied is anomalous and out-of-date. The farmers are in the same position as business and professional men. They should pay only in proportion to their ability to do so. If they make a profit of £IOOO a year from their farms, they should pay income tax upon that amount, nothing more, and nothing less. If their profits amount to less than £3OO, they should pay nothing in the way of general taxation. At the present time there are scores of people who are not making £3OO a year, and these have to pay the same land tax as if they were earning £IOOO a year. Many of them have to borrow money with which to pay their land tax, because they are running their properties af, a loss. This form of taxation is grossly inequitable. And it will continue so until farmers insist upon the Government imposing the income tax alone, as it does in respect to all other business enterprises.