FARMERS’ UNION

Timaru Herald, Volume CXL, Issue 20297, 21 December 1935, Page 9

FARMERS’ UNION

WAGES TAX ON SONS OF FARMERS EXPLANATION WANTED The South Canterbury Executive of the Farmers’ Union met yesterday. Present: Messrs A. W. Barnett (chairman), A. Ward, W. Buchan, C. Ley, J. Bitchener. P. R. Talbot, J. Trotter, G. W. Cleland, J. C. Hay, J. Macaulay, A. Bisdee, A. J. Davey, L. V. Talbot, W. H. Staniland, S. R. Muff, G. A. Davey, A. E. Dobson, J. Cleland, J. J. Dickson, B. E. Evans, J. J. Hall, D. M. France, H. L. Adam, and W. Black. In reply to an inquiry from the Executive, the Commissioner of Employment (Mr J. S. Hunter) stated that amounts paid by farmers to their sons who were engaged on farms were subject to unemployment tax, because such amounts were paid in consideration of the sons’ employment or services. The value of board and lodgings must be taken into account if that emolument were provided. The foregoing would not apply to a person who had not attained the age of 20 years. The farmer was entitled to claim as a deduction the amounts of cash actually paid to sons employed and also the cost of the rations bought for them. Where it was found that in the past a farmer had not taxed the amounts paid to his sons and where the farmer had not claimed a deduction in respect thereof, he should make application so that the Unemployment Board might consider the question of freeing him from liability to make good the amount of wages tax involved. Mr Evans said in his own case he had not made any deduction but had shown the payments in his income tax return without claiming any exemption for his son. He had been told that that method was all right, but later he had to pay a penalty for lateness in addition to the deductions, and therefore had been taxed twice. Mr Ward expressed the opinion that the reply was not wholly satisfactory. It was putting the farmer to a good deal of inconvenience to ask him to go back through his returns for two or three years. They should have kndwn in the first place in what directoin the taxation would apply. On the motion of Mr Macaulay it was decided to press for negotiation with the Tax Department to avoid double taxation in cases of men who had not made deductions for their sons. It was also decided to ask the Dominion Executive to obtain a definite statement of the position. Tuberculosis Decreasing. In reference to bovine tuberculosis, the Director of Public Hygiene (Mr T. R. Ritchie) advised that the procedure carried out by the Department of Agriculture had already resulted in a marked improvement of the dairy herds supplying milk for consumption in New Zealand and there was no doubt that improvement would continue. Investigations carried out over a period of years at Otago Medical School indicated that tuberculosis, not only of the pulmonary type, but of the type usually designated as surgical tuberculosis was chiefly due to the human type of tubercle bacillus and that the present type of cases due to the bacillus of bovine tuberculosis was much less in New Zealand than, for instance, Great Britain. If deaths in New Zealand from pulmonary tuberculosis and other forms of the disease were taken as a guide to the prevalence of those conditions, tuberculosis had been decreasing at a very satisfactory rate during the last few decades. Where public opinion was strongly in favour of the milk supply being obtained from tuberculin tested herds, dairy farmers would not be slow in meeting such a demand.

The letter was recorded. The Dominion Executive notified that the former Minister of Agriculture had advised, regarding skeleton weed, that a close watch was being kept and samples had been taken of cereals imported from Australia, but in none of those had any trace of the weed been found. The Department of Agriculaure was in touch with the New South Wales authorities and when a reply was received the Department would be better able to determine what course of action was necessary to prevent the introduction of the weed into the Dominion. Field Day at Pleasant Point The headmaster of the Pleasant Point District High School advised that the school grounds would be available for the Union’s field day on January 14. Messrs R. McGillivray and W. D. Blair wrote signifying their intention of attending the fixture. The secretary reported that arrangements were well advanced and several competent judges had expressed tlieir willingness to give demonstrations in agriculture and livestock. The chairman reported that irrigation work was progressing throughout the district, especially in Levels Couuty and he understood that an irrigation officer was to be appointed in South Canterbury. He suggested that the Union should meet the Rotary Club, who were very interested in the work, and hold a field day when farmers could inspect the work being done. Waimate Branch advanced the following remit: “That this meeting urges that the Mortgage Corporation should offer the best possible conditions for long term mortgages when offering variation proposals.” In moving the adoption of the remit, Mr Cleland said the Mortgage Corporation was offering a long term loan to some clients and shorter term loans to others, which meant it was using a form of bargaining in conducting its* business. Mr Bitchener said it was not the Corporation’s business to offer all long term loans—some people were quit 3 willing to accept a short term loan. It would not be good business to tie up all its money for the period of 45 years it was offering. He thought the motion, however, was on right lines. The remit was carried. Down Lamb Grade Suggested The following remit was advanced by Pleasant Point Branch: “That in view of the statements of Mr R. £. Forsyth that Southdown lambs weie bringing a farthing a lb. more than other types on the London market, that this Branch recommends that a Down lamb grade be introduced.” Mr Ley, in moving the adoption of the remit, said that if the Down lambs brought a farthing more in London than other breeds, it was only fair that the farmers who bred them should have the benefit in New Zealand. There was a grade for Downs in the North Island and there was no reason why growers in Canterbury, or in the whole of the South Island, should not have a grade for them. The opinion that the giving of a premium to the Down lambs might bring about a general reduction in the rates of other types was expressed by Mr Ward. The remit was lost. The following remit was received from the Temuka Branch: “That the Executive recommends to the Dominion Executive that any members of the Union holding Government office should not at the same time hold ary Executive office in the Union.” The remit was lost. Mr Trotter referred to the discrepancy in the prices of petrol in Christchurch and Timaru. In Chri.sc-

church it was possible to buy petrol at 1/9 a gallon but for the same spirit the price in Timaru was 2/-. He thought the Union should take the matter up and inquire the reason for the increased price in Timaru. It was agreed to refer the matter tc the Automobile Association (Soutn Canterbury).