FARMERS IN CABINET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21029, 13 November 1931, Page 11

FARMERS IN CABINET.

ONLY ONE CITY MEMBER. PROTEST BY MR. ENDEAN. BEARERS OF TAX BURDENS. While declaring himself an unswerving supporter of the Coalition Government, Mr. W. P. Endean, Coalition candidate for Parnell, in a speech at Remuera last evening, made a plea for more town representation in the next Ministry. "There are too many farmers in the Cabinet," said Mr. Endean. "Nine out of tho ten are farmers; Mr. Downie Stewart is tho only one not. We here are not sufficiently represented in the Government at the present time. I affirm the principle of keeping men on the land, but I %vant to put in a plea for tho men of the towns. We have got unemployed in thousands, and in that and other ways townspeople are bearing the heat and burden of the day. I have every regard for the man on the land. He is inclined to be-, a rather peculiar person. When it is raining he wants it dry "

A Voice: You cannot do without him

Mr. Endean: I quite agree. lam simply trying to get a few crumbs for the poor fellow in town. There is no idea in this of upsetting the Coalition Government or doing any harm to the farmer. The graduated tax has been taken off land, bat Id in the pound has been kept on. The graduation was intended to break up big estates, but 50 per cent, of the land tax is from town properties, and a lot of them simply cannot be subdivided.

"The farmer has to pay income tax, but not if the unimproved value of his property is under £3OOO. If it is more than that, he has only to have a few cows die of mammitis or falling into a drain, and he doesn't have to pay anything. (Laughter.) "I am only putting this forward as my own view," Mr. Endean concluded. "I hope public opinion will see to it that there are some men in the next Cabinet who will appreciate the problems of both town and country."

WAITEMATA SEAT. MR. DARLOW AT GLENFIELD. The Independent candidate for "Waitemata, Mr. W. B. Darlow, addressed about 40 electors in the Glenfield School. He was accorded a vote of confidence.