CUTTING UP OF LAND FOR SETTLEMENT

Chronicle (Levin), 27 April 1946, Page 4

CUTTING UP OF LAND FOR SETTLEMENT

PRESENT SUPER^TAX A' BAR The need for a pr'dgf£ssive' ltirid. poiicy providing dvbry lnc&ntiv'e for' thfe cutting up of large lifelUings to enable c-loser settlfement artd its 'confconiitant, liiglier develogment, was advocated by Mr. I). G. Gordon, provincial president, Federated Farmers, at a meeting held at Marton receiitly. Tllfe position in New Zeaiand today; lie said, had given' him cause fdr- soiiie coneefn" becaiifee of.the ■circnmstaiices which appeared to prevent suitable holdiiigs froin beiiig subdivi'ded ahd mdde available for qualihed yohng ihfen to take up. Until some incentiv'fe Was ■offered to the o'wrier of a property to feut it up when he had tinishcu with it,he did not consider that very much prOgress would be hiade towards settliug servieemen and otliers seeking laiid. Mr. Gordon said that he had been astounded to tind tlie number of farms in the Taihape district which were bemg fariiied dS estitteS. In his opinioh these farms should be cut up and made available for closer settlement "for it was not a good thing for the country ihkt they should be held and worked as : eslfifes;/.: -Tha-t difi- .-inpt.-iiiean • th at he blfime.d' the iriterests cpncefued for they >vijfe not rds^pnsrble f'or the position , which in his view was attributable to The present excessively high rate of taxatitin o'ii incoiiie ahd pafticiilarly sofealled unearned income. "I feel that we will not get anyiwhere with a land poiicy unless we ean ofl'er some iudueement to owners to feubdivide when they have fmished with tlidil* farms. The present super-tax of 33 1-3 per cent on unearned income was a dellnite barricr to people wishing to subdivide their land and until some substantial relief is offerihg I f'dfel tluit very little progress will' be made." He vvent on to say that he believed that if relief from taxation was given eonsideration voluntan'- subdivision would f oi 1°W. Mr. L. Hammond said tliat the "maii in the street was unable to understfend the position and eould not appi'eciate why the land was not available. "It ariiounted to this," hfe said, ' ' iand-owndfs e ohiti ho't affoi'd to Sdll bfeeause of the excessive taxation they would be ealled upon to meet. " It was agreed to have the matter of tllfe land poiicy "of Federated Farmers reviewed at the forthcoming interprovincial conference which is to sit. at Wanganui. The question -of land settlement in the Feilding d.isti'ict has been exercising interested farmers from the -anglc of increasing production t'o mfeef tlie call from England' ahd Burcrpfe for mcfi-e fdodstuffs. It is estimated that betvfeen the Feilding Borough and Cheltfenham, along Kimbolton Road, there is some 6000 acres of ri'eh Mnd.feapablfeof subdivision but despitfe eftor'ts made by members of the Primary Production Cqhneil, it is lcarned that t'H'efe is little prospect of any results arifemg ffohi tlie representations made. The land referred to lends itself to closer settlemfent and development and according to adthoritative opinion carrving capacitv arifl production eould be quiekly doubled if a determihfe'd' elfoi't whs riiafle.- Bd'f a^fein the issue .of cutting up this land into smaller hoidings is confronted by tBe high taxation whieh qwners ah-1 efelates must ffeefe whferfe thfe latid iS diitposed of.