MR. POLSON HOSTILE.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 228, 26 September 1929, Page 11

MR. POLSON HOSTILE.

"WITH GREAT RELUCTANCE." BILL WOULD RAISE COSTS. SUPERTAX TOO SEVERE. The bill would have to be considerably amended before he would support it. announced Mr. W. J. Poison (Stratford), president of the New Zealand Fanners' Union. Mr. Poison said he had come to his decision with a great deal of reluctance and regret, because he always had believed in the bursting up of large estates, and he knew the Prime Minister was honest in his endeavour to do his best for the country. This bill, said Mr. Poison, would not increase settlement. It would add to the cost of working the land and therefore would ultimately reduce, instead of increase, the demand for land. He was prepared to agree to taxation on large estates suitable for closer settlement, but he was not prepared to add to the burdens of the working farmer. Therefore, he was unable to support the bill. The Prime Minister was going to take £300,000 from the pockets of 1400 "big men" in New Zealand, said Sir. Poison. He was satisfied that the proposal amounted practically to a confiscation of those estates. It was a very serious thing to pass legislation of that kind, no matter how small the 6ection affected. He was prepared to agree to a steepening of the graduated land tax, but not to what amounted to confiscation. He hoped it was not too late to amend the bill.