THE FARMERS AND THE GO VERXAIENT POLICY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8931, 15 July 1892, Page 5

THE FARMERS AND THE GO VERXAIENT POLICY.

[BY TELEGRAPH. PRESS ASSOCIATION*.]

Ckristciiurch, Thursday. The Farmers and Country Settlers League met at the Chamber of Commerce Booms, when resolutions were adopted to the following effect : —(I) That the League will oppose all class legislation as a violation of the rights of all citizens to equal laws ; (2) will oppose all attempts to impose heavier State burdens upon the owner of land than upon the owners of other kinds of property ; (.'!) denounces as dishonest and a national breach of faith any proposals to nationalise lands owned by private citizens without paying fair compensation to them ; (4) declares that the imposition of progressive tax on the owners of land while exempting the owners of money from progressive taxation is class legislations hostile to farmers and laudowners, and a violation of their rights to equal laws ; (5) declares that it is unjust, and oppressive to compel the mortgagors of land to pay progressive taxes upon the mortgagees' interests in their lands; (0) that this League views with just alarm those provisions of the Land and Income Tax of 1891, which tax farmers and country settlers so much more heavily than town dwellers and money-lenders with equal means to pay taxes; (7) condemns any system of taxation which will have the effect of unfairly diminishing the fund for employing agricultural labourers, and considers that the present Land Tax Act will cause a manifestly unfair diminution of such wage fund without giving any corresponding advantage to them ; (8) declares it is unprincipled and dishonest for politicians to advocate that any class of citizens able to pay taxes should not pay their fair share of the taxes required to be levied lor the necessaries of the community; (9) declares that it is unjust for dwellers in town to have the right to have three votes while country settlers have only one vote for the election of Parliamentary representatives.

It was decided to publish the programme of the League throughout the colony, and send copies to county councils and road boards with a request that they will organise similar institutions with a view to meetings of delegates, who will consult as to united action.