DIRECT ACTION OPPOSED

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 68, Issue 5941, 10 May 1944, Page 2

DIRECT ACTION OPPOSED

STAND BY WAIKATO COUNTY COUNCIL

The opinion that if county councils supported any action in regard to the non-payment of rates it would simply be asking the Government to nationalise everything and that the ratepayers would lose control of the counties was expressed by the chairman, Mr J. A. Sampson, at a meeting of the Waikato County Council. .

Communications from the Oroua County Council and the Whakatane County Council requesting support for resolutions carried at meetings of the two councils in regard to rating were discussed by the meeting. The Whakatane resolution asked that county councils be urgently requested to petition the Government to enact legislation which would provide that all local body funds would be subscribed from sources other than rates on land, so that all electors would shoulder the financial responsibility for providing the funds which all electors, under universal franchise, would administer. The Oroua resolution requested that councils ask the president of the Farmers’ Union to request that provincial councils and all branches of the union should organise for direct action to prevent the enforcing of the Local Elections and Polls Amendment Act.

The Oroua County’s communication suggested that action could be taken by a concerted refusal on the part of all ratepayers to pay either rates of income tax until the repeal of the Act was agreed to by the Government. The adoption of this course, it was held, would not curtail production nor would it interfere with the country’s war effort. On the motion of Mr Sampson it was decided not to support either resolution, Mr R. G. Young dissenting.

The whole trouble was that farmers would not pull together, said Mr J. R. Hooper. The position could be righted in 10 minutes if every farmer said “No.” Trade unions were prepared to lose thousands of pounds to gain their point but farmers were afraid to lose a few shillings. “If it were not for compulsory unionism many members of traces unions would not pay their fees and the unions would fall to pieces,” commented Mr Sampson. Mr Young expressed the opinion that there was going to be more cohesion among farmers than in the past. He could see no reason /or anyone not having a vote provided rating was taken off the land. Another speaker commented that the Government was working for nationalisation and would not mind seeing local bodies abolished.