LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 307, 23 September 1919, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

LAND TAX

CASES OF EEAL HARDSHIP. Sir,—Yesterday's Dominion reports the Minister of Finance us follows :-"He did not pretend that tho taxation system was perfect, but .1 great deal was done to relievo hardship. For example, deduction ot .£2OOO was allowed on land values in cases of hardship. . . . The Commissioner of Taxes had power to give relief 111 roses of hardship," etc. Let us see how this works out in the following cose. A party of five working men by their industry had saved up a few pounds, sufficient to pav the necessary deposit to enable them to.take up small tnnns under the Lund for Settlements act. the land was good lari.i, and had 'been free from floods for vears. Unfortunately for them, owing to n river board deciding to effect some alteration in one of the banks confining tho river, a Hood came down before the work was completed and destroved the crops on the settlement, as well as a larpfe area Adjoining. Happening to be early in the 1 season, the land ivas dry cnomm'to work ! up and get in a late crop, thus parti-1 Ally pasinj their loss No. 1. So .much ' for their first year. The two years following were fairly- good, and enabled them to recover. Now comes the climax. •I he river broke through miles away, came down-, over the plain, and destroy-1 eel early crops again. Coming early, 'it was again possible to work "t.bo land and get in a second ;crop. New sped had to be bought, besides expense of workin" the land. It was nil wasted, for flood Ao. 2 came down and destroyed it all; consequently for that year absolutely no returns were to be had. and on top of that the.new land tax camo in, and they were asked to pay, super tax added. I believe everyone wrote either to Mr. Massey or others in authority. One letter to Mr. Massey wos passed on to the Minister of Finance. Sir Joseph Ward, who replied, or rather, a repl'v was received to the effect that "probably therp would bo no income lax to pay at' all under thu circumstances." Sir, this was next door to an insult. Surely they who had lost everything, had no need to be told that. It was relief from land tax. not incomo tax, they wanted, but did not get, One. I 'believe, was allowed to let it stand over till the following year, but had to pay it all the same. Where does tho deduction of .£2OOO in land value or the Commissioner's power to loliovo in cases of hardship come in? Mr. has sold Mβ farm now; sale completed May 1, lit gets notice to prepare to pay land tax ns usual. Called on Commissioner, explaining position; was told he would have to pay as he held the land on. March 31. Quite correct; this is law. Was told to leavo his address so that ho could be notified when to pay. Commis. sioner admitted thnt under the circumstances they, the special settlement company, had been hit hard, but apparently it. is to pay up all the eiime. I don t know that tho Commissioner can bo blamed altogether. I presume he is paid won for and expected to collect every penny possible, notwithstanding his ''power to relieve in cases of hardship." Only for taking outside work or getting money from outside sources, I doubt if any of the company referred to could have, held on to their farms, and they deserve everr credit for (lie spirit in which they met their difficulties— I am. etc., WOBKEK. [Tlio cases quoted by our correspondent certainly seem to deserve the attention, of the new Finance Minister.]