PRICE OF LAND AND STOCK

Southland Times, Issue 25548, 16 December 1944, Page 3

PRICE OF LAND AND STOCK

Rehabilitation Of Servicemen The opinion that it was more important that a returned serviceman going on the land should secure his land and stock at a fair and reasonable price was expressed by Mr A. R. Johnston during a discussion on the proposal to exempt returned servicemen from taxation at a meeting of the Southland Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union yesterday. Other members supported Mr Johnston and the meeting decided to suggest to the Invercargill R.S.A. that it should take steps to appoint in every district in Southland a committee of farmers, sympathetic with returned servicemen, whose advice in the purchase of land and stock would be available if required. Mr J. Johnston said it was felt that young men who were being rehabilitated would be handicapped by the high rate of taxation. He said that he thought these men would find that a great deal of the concessions they received by way of loans would be cancelled out by heavy taxation. He did not think it necessary to emphasize that young men starting out on the land might find themselves financially embarrassed in a year or two. Slumps would come again, no matter what Government was in power. Returned servicemen should, in his opinion, go on the land in as favourable circumstances as possible. There should be some relief from taxation. LAND AND STOCK

The executive had been asked by the Gore sub-executive to discuss the matter, said Mr A. R. Johnston. In his opinion there was a matter of greater importance than taxation exemption. That was that servicemen going on the land should secure their stock and land at a fair and reasonable price. Certainly, there were land sales committees acting in these matters, but he contended that no one had a better idea of value than the local farmer. It was possible that some of these men had friends who could advise them, but there were men not so favourably placed. He had been informed that some of these men were suffering because of this.

Mr Johnston contended that a man liable for income tax was in a favourable position. If concessions were granted to men on the land then men in other walks of life would also have to get concessions. The aim should be to get the men on the land into a sound position as soon as possible. To do that they would have to secure their land at a reasonable price and be able to buy their stock at a fair and reasonable price. The practical advice of farmers in each district was needed to achieve this end.

Mr D. H. O’Brien supported Mr Johnston in his contention that a man was in a favourable position when he was liable for income tax.

“I would not like the executive to leave the impression that we are satisfied with the present high rate of taxation,” said Mr J. Johnston. Another member remarked that it was “pretty tough” that a soldier who had been away fighting a war should have to come back and pay for it. He thought they should be relieved of some taxation.