NEW ZEALAND FARMERS UNION.

Patea Mail, Volume XXXIX, 29 June 1914, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND FARMERS UNION.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE. Taranaki Remits. The thirteenth annual Dominion Conference of the New Zealand Farmers' Union will open at the Dominion headquarters, National Mutual Buildings, Customhouse Quay, on Tuesday, July 21. The Dominion president, Mr J. Gh Wilson, will preside. The Taranaki remits are as fol - lows;— Taxation.

Taranaki: "That this conference cannot see any valid reason why money invested in land should be taxed differently to money invested in other industries, but if it is not taxed in this manner, the tax as indicated in the remit previously sent to the Dominion Conference be adopted, viz,: That as the present system of valuing land for taxation purposes has proved a complete failure, owing to the impossibility of accurately separatt ing the improved from the unimproved value, this conference considers a much fairer and much simpler way would be to tax on the annual value, with the same exemptions as capital inyested in other industries, the annual value to be five per cent of the capital value." Land Laws.

Taranaki: " That the Government amend the Valuation Act in the direction of having, the whole of special loans classed as improvements, the deduction of the unpaid portion only being allowed and each property owner's share be ascertained by capitalising the special rate paid." Defence. Southland and Taranaki: "That this conference approves the present system of military training, and would protest against a proposal to substitute the barracks system for training camps, but would support a proposal to make the camps of a permanent nature during the day so that the men could attend at any period of the year for training." Taranaki: "That this conference, while affirming the position that New Zealand should contribute its fair share towards the defence of the Empire, is of opinion that the proposed change of policy in regard to the naval subsidy in such an all - important matter, and fraught with such serious and far-reaching results, that the Dominion should not finally be com" mitted until the matter has been more fully discussed." Other Matters. A Southland remit is: "That the Government be asked to continue the system of immigrating farm labourers' and domestics." Another remit from the same source is: " That a tax be levied on motor vehicles so that the whole cost of keeping the.main arterial roads in good repair does not fall on the land occupier." A South Canterbury remit runs: "That the New Zialand Farmers' Union claims a right to have a rspre* sentative on the Board of Agriculture and that the dairying industry be more fully represented on the board." Southland : '• That this conference pbjacts to the further increase in the graduated land tax, as it is beginning to press unduly on the small farmer." Auckland ." That this conference would urge the Dominion Executive to watch closely any attempt by interested parties to further increase the Customs duties on farmer's requirements, and to take every opportunity to press for reductions and removals of any duties which place undue burdens on the farming inn dustry." " That the tariff on wheat and flour between New Zaaland and Australia should b 3 uniform." " That the conferenca draws the attention of the Government to the desirability of encouraging trading reciprocity within the Empire."