NEW TAXATION.

Wairarapa Age, 7 August 1930, Page 2

NEW TAXATION.

i CONFERENCE OF FARMERS AND EMPLOYERS. — DEPUTATION TO PREMIER. Representatives of the New Zealand , Farmers’ Union, New Zealand Sheep- ' owners’ Federation, New Zealand Employers’ Federation, and the New Zealand Counties Association waited upon J the Prime Minister, the Hon. G. W. Forbes, on Tuesday evening, to place before him the decisions they had reached at a combined conference held earlier in the day. The conference decisions were:— That this meeting is emphatically of the opinion that the Dominion’s financial position calls for immediate public economy. This meeting strongly protests against the continuance of Customs duties on the necessaries of life and the means of production, believing such duties would defeat the only real remedy ■ — i.e., greater production through a lower level of costs. i’ This meeting expresses satisfaction J at the withdrawal by the Prime Minis- ■ ter of the super tax on land imposed last year. J> This meeting unanimously supports .“ the imposition of income tax in lieu of land tax. £ This meeting considers that if addiJ tional taxation is required more re- ■ venue should be obtained by increasing 1 the taxation on luxuries. a That as the time has arrived when ■ the users of roads should construct and J maintain them, this meeting approves i of the imposition of the proposed in- ■ creased tax on petrol, provided that R the proceeds of such taxation are'used > for. relieving the burden of rates in the J maintenance and formation of roads, ■ and not for directly or indirectly reJ lieving the Consolidated Fund. «J This meeting asks the Prime Minis■C ter to appoint a Select Committee—<(l) to make careful investigations into the ? important matter of the derating of J. agricultural and pastoral lands in other B J countries; and (2) to consider the adJ. visability of exempting all farm lands in the Dominion from rates for reading purposes. That as in the opinion of this mcetH ing the restriction on industry arising • from the operation of the Arbitration Act is one of the prime causes of un- _ employment, the Government be again urged to put into legislative effect the employers’ recommendations following the Industrial Conference, 1928. The president of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, Mr. W. J. Polson, M.P., introduced the deputation. The Prime Minister, in replying, said that the present financial position demanded things being done that would not have l been done in ordinary circumstances. The petrol tax of fourpence was allowed to the Highways Board. That was not to say that any additional taxation on petrol was the property of the board. To say there was a vested right in any system, of taxation was unsound. It was necessary that relief should be given to the Consolidated Fund. The Highways Board would not be affected. Regarding the request for a change in the incidence of taxation, the Prime Minister said he thought they would agree that the present was not the time to make such a change, which would be a big thing indeed. He would, however, take into consideration the requests made to him.