THE MAN ON THE LAND

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19453, 12 October 1937, Page 13

THE MAN ON THE LAND

BASIS OF TAXATION ADJUSTMENT URGED (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, last night. Commenting on the taxing bill today, Mr. A. P. O'Shea, Dominion secretary of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, stated that there would be keen disappointment at the Government’s failure to adjust taxation more equitably, particularly the land tax. The position with regard to exemption for mortgage indebtedness was still the same, and apart from the injustice of this imoosition, it should be stressed that the Government was losing a valuable means of helping to relieve unemployment, he said.

The boot manufacturers were drawing attention to the fact that unemployment was being caused by high costs, but it would probably be found, if a careful examination were made, that the farming industries could absorb many times the number of people likely to be affected in the boot industry, if only some relief were given in taxation, more particularly by doing away with the unfair practice of taxing a man on an equity he did not possess.

If the problem of high costs were tackled, the primary industries could assist the Government by providing employment and the cost probably would be very much less than that of the methods being used at present to deal with the problem.