GRADUATED LAND TAX.

Wairarapa Age, 14 August 1936, Page 4

GRADUATED LAND TAX.

POSITION OF MASTERTON TRUST. DEPUTATION TO MINISTER. The position of the Masterton Trust Lands Trust following on the imposition of the graduated land tax is to be th* subject of a deputation of the Trust, which is to meet the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, at Wellington on Monday nex-t. Immediately the Budget proposals were announced, the chairman, Mr. J. MacFarlane Laing, said he had instructed the secretary to write to the Hon. W. Nash, Minister of Finance, with a view to making representations on behalf of the Trust as to its position as the result of the imposition of the graduated land tax. At the preeent time the Trust paid half the flat rate, which amounted to £l3O. Under the graduated land tax the Trust would come in on the maximum scale. Presuming, said Mr. Laing, that the present half-exemption still applied the -tax was going to become £7BO as compared with £l3O. If they were not entitled to any exemption under the graduated land tax the amount would be £1560, which would be more or less the death blow of the Trust. Mr. Laing added that the Trust had already authorised a deputation to meet the Minister in regard to finance proposals for the Opera House and it was proposed that the same deputation, should deal with both matters. Refer* ring again more particularly to tho Trust’s position under the land tax, Mr. Laing said there was a principle involved and a ruling would need to be given as affecting all txusth and endowments. Th© members of the deputation ara Messrs J. MacFarlane Laing (chairmagn), H. P. Hugo, A. Owen Jones and L. J. Taylor.