FARMERS' UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 29, 28 July 1911, Page 2

FARMERS' UNION.

AXMJAL CONFERENCE. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Thursday. The Farmers' Union Conference today passed a resolution to the effect that the present system of taxation, based on the unimproved value, being most unsatisfactory in consequence ot the impossibility of ascertaining the true unimproved value, the conference would favor some more equitable basis I of taxation, which would place the taxation of land in just proportion to that constituted by other industries. An old friend in the shaipe of a remit, from Auckland provided' an interesting 1 discussion. The remit ran that this conference is of opinion that the engineering trade should receive no more protection by way of tariff., During the discussion it was an opinion generally expressed that local engineers turned out work equal to the imported article, and farmers, on the whole, -were not patriotic enough in supporting local industry. It appeared to be generally recognised that the engineering trade ipm in a bad way, but in passing the resolution the conference agreed by a good majority that further to protect the trade would be prejudicial to farmers' interests.

One delegate said that the implement makers' trouble was the Arbitration Oourt awards, and another speaker that it appeared no use raising the tariff on machinery, as it would mean an increased price, which would be" mopped up by labor. There was no finality to this process. An attempt by a Marlborough delegate to have the protective tariff raised on imported grain was rejected by an overwhelming majority.