FARMERS INCOMES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2632, 30 November 1915, Page 9

FARMERS INCOMES

AND THE NEW TAXES

"UNNECESSARY AMOUNT OF NOISE." "With"regard to war tax on profits," said the Prime Minister in an interview yesterday, "I t.hink an unnecessary amount of noise is made by one or two (f the organisations who have apparently dismissed the proposal without properly considering or understanding it; "The principle i 5 that part of the war profits made by individuals should go to the State for war purposes, and this principle was unanimously affirmed in Parliament. The ordinary land tax has not been increased at all. The graduated tax has been increased bv 50 per cent., but no graduated land'tax is payable unless the landowner possesses land of an unimproved value of £5000. By the new provision to which some objection is taken in certain quarters the farmer is allowed annual exemptions of o per cent, on the capital value of his land, and of £300 on incomes, before his special war tax commences. My own opinion is that only a very small percentage of the smaller farmers will, pay anything -under this heading, and those farmers who will be called upon to pay are able ar.d willing to 'do so. ' "The Government must have money to. carry on the war;" said the Prime Minister, ."and we have endeavoured to sprwid tho increased burdens fairly and equitably, and the great majority of people think we have been successful."