TAXATION PROPOSALS

Northern Advocate, 22 August 1929, Page 6

TAXATION PROPOSALS

PRIMARY PRODUCERS MEET,

DISCUSSION ON DETAILS,

(Per Press’ Association. —Copyright.)

WELLINGTON, This Day,

A special nieeting- of tile primary producers, called by the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, was held in the Farmers 1 ’ Institute today to consider tlie taxation proposals of the Government. Mr W. J. Poison, M.P., president, was in the chair and thanked' those present, about 74, for attending at such short notice.

Mr Poison denied that he had spoken in the House of Representatives as representing the Farmers’ Union, He had spoken as representing his constituents and also expressed his own opinion.

Mr Folson went on to outline the ■taxation proposals, ( and* intimated that there were some very important points in the Government’s proposals which he totally disagreed with. His only .anxiety was to see the best done for : the farming community, and nothing c-lso. He was in favour of a graduated laud tax on tire larger estates 1 . It was a principle that had been in operation a good many years. He agreed, howicVer, that a man should not be taxed ■on his debts'.

The conference, in committee, discussed the- question of inviting Sir Joseph Ward to be present. It' wasdecided not to do so, but to ask Min to receive a deputation in the afternoon.

The conference then went on to dis cuss, in detail, how the proposed taxation would affect individual farmers'.

Several motions hod been prepared and these were dealt with one by one, the speakers being limited to five minutes.

Motions were adopted in the follow-

ing form: ‘ ‘ That this eoiribined meeting of the ■No\v Zealand rdfm6'r&' r ' ITriion and other cogriate organisations' favours a reduction in the public expenditure, instead of an increase in taxation on the farm lands of the .Dominion arid recomift’erids' exemption of £IO,OOO ori fogistrife'd mortgages in the cb'mputatiori of land tax, if fririhrir taxation is required from land, hut that the exemption he reduced by £1 for £1 in excess of £lo,ooo', unimproved value, until it Anally disappears at £20’,000.

“That this meeting is'of the strongest opinion that it is 1 most’ uriequitable for any taxpayer to pay taxation ori debts arid that family partri'efships be individualised for both land arid incoirie tax.’’ T&e eorifereriee is proceeding.