A RECORD YEAR

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10088, 30 September 1918, Page 4

A RECORD YEAR

SOUTH CANTERBURY FARMERS. QUESTION OF AUSTRALIAN ■WHEAT. ' Press Association. TIMARU, September 28. At the annual meeting of the Farmers’ Co-operative Association, the chairman stated that the turn-over for the year was £1,579,000, a record, but this was partly due to the high prices of everything. The gross profits on merchandise was £2OOO, and stock and merchandise were valued at £250,000. Sevonty-sLx employees had gone to the war, eleven had lost their lives, and twenty had returned, of whom thirteen were re-employed. The association pays part salary of absent , employees, so that £6OOO had been paid. £2OOO was required this year. The chairman (Mr John Talbot), in his address, condemned as unfair and oppressive on the mortgagor farmer the abolition of the tax on mortgages, as letting the real owner, of land free, which is often a person of good income following no productive opcupation, The association paid last year over £10,006 in land and income tax, and subscribed £IO,OOO to war loans under the compulsory provisions. More must be paid under the latter head,' and the, only means of payment is increasing the charges to customers. Consequently the tax in the long run ,is virtually ah paid by the farmers. The multiplication of taxes on the producing industry must increase the cost of production and the price of the product. .Mr Talbot, in referring to wheat, said the Government’s '.treatment of last year’s crop -was satisfactory, -;The position regarding the next crop was quite' ' otherwise. The Government guaranteed , the minimum price, Cs 4d f.0.b,, with free market, but menaced the chances"-' of growers getting the benefit of .the free market by importing Australian wheat. The price at which this is to be sold is unknown to farmers, most of. whom are willing to keep the wheat-growing industry going, but are discouraged .by..the unnecessary and irritating restrictions in respect to soiling, added to the risks and difficulties of production. An equalising tariff on wheat, grown in Australia and Now Zealand was an urgent demand. A resolution was carried to increase the capital by £50,000, at present authorised £825,000, paid np £225,000 (99,000 ordinary, 124.000 preference), reserve. £62,000..