The Budget.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 14042, 28 October 1909, Page 2 (Supplement)

The Budget.

CANNOT HURT FARMERS. •Speaking at. Holme Lacy, in Herefordshire, Mr. Donald Maclean, Liberal M.P. for Bath, dealth with the Budget from the point of view of the farmer. His main points were: — 1. The Budget will not tax the farmor a penny piece extra. 2. It specially provides that land used bona lido for agricultural purposes shall be excluded from all and every one of the new land taxes.

For the purposes of the Budget the word "agriculture" includes the use of land as meadow or pasture-land, or woodland, or for market- gardens, nursery grounds, or .allotments, and the expression "agricultural land" is to be construed accordingly. (Clause 27 of Bill.) 3. As regards Io the Id undeveloped land duty, the owner (not the farmer) will have, to pay only where the site value exceeds £SO an acre, and only on the amount;by which the site value of the land exceeds the value of the land for agricultural: purposes. So that agriculture is absolutely exempt from the tax..

4. It sets aside half the proceeds of the new land taxes to the relief of local rates.

5. It provided a commencing sum of £600,000 yearly from the : new petrol duty and the extra motor-car license duty, ! which will be paid ;■. into. a new central:, fund for the improvement- of roads. ' '''"!''. ;This will he over and. above the sum j which county councils now receive froin ■ motor licenses. , *,\ ! ' ,: Grants will be made out of the Central! Road Improvement Fund to. local : authorities for widening, and straightening roads, making deviations 'round villages,., allaying dust nusiances, and. for constructing new roads. This must aid the farmer by improving the open country and mitigating the motor-car nuisances and dangers.

6, It places no less than' £200,000, which may be expand to; any amount, for the purpose of agricultural. deve--lopment. At last, after years of Tory promise, a Liberal Budget places English agrisulture on a footinawith Irish, Danish, Gorman, Canadian and American agriculture. 7. It finds the money for old age pensions, which ■ must, permanently help the local rates by gradually abolishing I 'outdoor relief, and givingthe work-Worh labourer an honourable pension from the State. <,--., ~^ 8;-It provides for cultural rates grant under the;/Agricultural Holdings Act, which Mrjj.Asquith has definitely promised to renew next year., : ■:■ ■'.■•'■•' " r'~-'jx'^

'- 9: It propases to relieve the owners of agricultural land, by charging I ;them on their net 1 income from hind.instead of o*n their "gross income froni Schedule Ato Schedule-H. V-?-J ' : , ' Mr Lloyd George reminded ; the House on the second readings tliat' : the only relief owners of nerieultur.al'Tand had ever had uiuW Schedule A' came from Sir Willi*ni - Harcourt. (Haiisard vol. G,'pa?e 338-9.) , In conclusion, Mr Maclean .urged farmers to question their Members of Parliament on th'e«e iwints, to;- 'get snecilie answers,' "Yes" of "No.' 'and stand no shillv-shallying. and ■ also to brin"- these matters, effecting them personallv, before their farmers' clubs.

A NEW YORKER'S VIEW

> 'The Hon. George Wallace, of New. York, an ex-Senator, was one,of the speakers at a recent Budget meeting in Nortli Hackney, ' and his remarks evoked much cheering -and laughter. ■• Mr Wallace, whose father was horn in the-Scottish -Highlands, said that in 1001 he was on a visit to some near relatives there, and J alter the usu"> greetings he asked about Aleck, i •■- youngest hoy, and was told that "ono to the v war with a Highland • <•<"- nient. "Of course, I was proud r r Aleck," said Mr. Wallace, "when I learned that he was keeping up-the old reimtation of.the family and fight for his Queen and his v"l}y" land. ■"lnquiring where Aleck's'.land lay I was -told tliat lie had w><"\ and; that he had even been horn on land i hat did not helong to his T asked what lond Aleck would hive if he got hack alive, and was told he wouldn't have any. I was not so charmed with ! Aleck's fighting qualities as at first. | Then I asked as to the owners of the land in the district. Had they gone | to the war with Aleck to fight for. their native land? (Laughter, and cries of 'Oh, no.') I.see you havo the answer. "Now let a stranger from,across the ■water give you a- suggestion. When you have the next war ask your Government to make a conscription, ?m' allow none hut landholders in the uv=lregiments that go to the front. They would certainly make, the best soldiers fighting for their King and their native land. You should put all who_ have land worth, a quarter of a million or more in the firing line. Let the smaller owners come up as the reserves. Those, physically unable could join in. liberally in the expenses,; hut Volunteers like cousin Aleck should not-v be allowed until all the landholders had the first chance. (Laughter, and cries of :We shoudn't have any war at all if that were done.') Well, I suspect you are right. ]f the Peace Conference at Tho Hague had provided that all nations should put only landholders hi their armies it wonld-neve.r need to convene, again. Peace . would become universal. You would not have to spend any more money on Dreadnoughts or other preparations for war. —(Cheers.) "But to return to Aleck. He got home alive, hut a physical wreck from enteric fever and the like. It was a year or more before lie* coiild do a good day's work. When he was again able to work for wages, what was my surprise to learn that his Government proposed to put a 10 per cent, tax on Aleck's food and clothing! They wanted him to pay his own expenses in going to the war! When I heard of this I was angry. I thought Aleck was, to get shabby treatment after all his fighting. To me. there seemed to be nothing- decent in it, oven if they did call it Tariff Reform. (Great lausrhter.) But there was some delay in the, matter, and before they got the tax laid on the voters rose in their might and turned the Government out of power. Then I felt better about cousin Aleck. (Laughter.) "Your present Government have prepared what you call a Budget, proposing to let the landowners in on the war expenses. As these gentlemen did not get on the firing line in the war, Mr Lloyd George and his associates propose, to trive them the right of line in navine the.oxnenses. (Cheers.) I do hot wonder that _ you cheer such a righteous, proposition. "T see Lord Londonderry has been talking about the maintenance of religion. ".In America v, e have a saying that

a man will vote as ho,prays. Now. I have in mind a. religious workm'anAßJtting down 'with .his. wifo and: children to a frugal meal. He reverently- 'says, 'grace hefore 'meat.'. I am-curious as to the wording of his prayer,.-.-' and imagine him asking the good Lord; to bless what 'they are about.to eat; and' also add 10 per cent, to the -ebsfc of _ it. 'Possibly his/'friends might want- the mau examined by a doctor.". (Laughter and cheers.)