REVISION OF TAXATION

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22509, 17 September 1938, Page 8

REVISION OF TAXATION

REHABILITATION AND

SETTLEMENT

NATIONAL CANDIDATE'S

POLICY

ADDRESS BY MB P. C. KJDD

AT ST. ANDREWS

[From Our Own Reporter.]

ST. .ANDREWS, September 1C

The revision of taxation and schemes for further rehabilitation and settlement on newly purchased land were among the points discussed to-night by Mr D. C. Kidd, National candidate for the Waitaki seat, in an address to a meeting of 100 electors at St Andrews. He declared that primary producers were going to reach a point in the very near future where it would be impossible to carry on under increased taxation, and with the production capacity of land only half-developed because of the want of efficiency in farm labour. If the National Party were returned the men now attracted to Public Works would be returned to reproductive employment. Mr Kidd received an attentive hearing and was given a vote of thanks. Before the last election, the Prime Minister (the. Rt. Hon. M.-J, Savage) said that the limit of taxation in the Dominion had been reached, and if his party were returned to power the re. vision of taxation would have to take place : , Mr Kidd said. If the Prime Minister and the Labour Party generally had been frank with the electors and told them that they were going to increase taxation by something like £11,500,000 in three years they would not have been allowed to occupy the Treasury benches. Labour had npt carried out its promises yet. He doubted whether people fully realised the burden of taxation they were bearing. Taxation amounted to 5s 6d in the £ of income on every taxpayer. The graduated land tax was cruel and crushing, and it would be one of the first taxes to go if the National Party were returned. A gradual taking oil of taxation would follow. The National Party held that people could spend money better than the State by developing private enterprises and industry. .■ Without making any apologies ior the mistakes of the past and present Governments, Mr Kidd said he wag a member of a new party. :-A younger generation was standing in the party s interest, and, having an eye to business, would see that the mistakes were not repeated. He would not promise electors the sun, moon, and stars, but only what he believed could be placeq on the Statute Book.

The Arbitration Court The National Party would not 'stand for mob rule in industry. Losses in freezing disputes were carried by primary producon, who were npt> faring top well under labour. The Court his party would oreate would be.4ree from, pplitical control, and they would see that both parties carried out the awards ,to the letter. He was in favour of unions; but every man should not be compelled to join them. The State housing spheme was criticised by Mr Kidd, who said that the rents were beyond the ability to pay of the working man. If the National Party were elected the houses would be sold to people because they believed the people should own their own houses. Cheap money would also be advanced for building homes by private enterprise. From 1924 to 1935 193 houses were provided each month, as-against 87 by Labour. The erection of homes would also be extended to rural districts, where housewives were giving the State valuable service by assisting in earning national income. The wheat industry was one of the most important in the Dominion, said Mr Kidd. A leading wheatgrower hao informed him that if the price qf the 41b loaf were increased by less than id the industry would be placed on a sound economic basis. It was essential that New Zealand should be made self-supporting in wheat, and the National Party .would leave no stone Unturned to do that, even if it meant increasing the cpst of the loaf, a very small item in living costs because the industry would create employment for many men. Wheat to the value Qf £BO,OOO or £IOO,OOO was purchased this year from Australia, with whom they would drive a hard trade bargain to provide an outlet for New Zealand potatoes, "New Zealand's wealth depends on the production from broad acres," said Mr Kidd. "If Labour is returned and the Minister for Lands practised what he preaches, legislation will be enacted preventing anybody from getting to land." Not one Labour member championed the cause of primary producers during the dark gays of the depression. Labour threatened to advocate a back to the land policy during the election. This was an attempt to pull the wool across the producers' eyes, and to woo their Votes. "We will state a land policy that will probably make land settlement in New Zealand successful once again,'' he said. "Most of the money lost in rehabilitating returned soldiers was through • lack of administration, and the difficult task of subdivisiqn will also have to be tapkjed," When subdivisions were made, local opinion waa overruled py officials in Wellington. A voice: What Government did that? Mr Kidd: The Reform Government and Labour is making the same mistake, Jf we get In we will alter thatPurchase of Further liand

A proposal he would make to h}s party was the purchase of further land for rehabilitation and the regrouping of men already on land, said Mr Kidd. He would abolish land purchase boards, which were only guessing when they entered strange districts, and place the responsibility on the administrators of land boards working in conjunction with local committees- , Many back-country runs had been ruined through poor subdivision. If elected He would urge that no officer be allowed to authorise subdivision unless the scheme were endorsed by men with local knowledge, 'He was also in favour of Crown tenants having two representatives on the land board, ' „ New Zealand could not stand up long under the huge public works programmes of Labour. A shortage of primary produce was threatened and the loss of national income would result in 53,000 men, now engaged on public works becoming unemployed. Because of want of efficient farm labour farms were not producing half the produce they were capable of producing, Labour should have subsidised the men's wages up to the level fixed by the Public Works Department go that farmers could retain their efficient labour; The National Party would see that men were engaged in reproductive work. Its policy for Public Works was to complete the present programme and in the years of prosperity the works would be cut down to a minimum and in times of depression speeded up.