CALL TO FARMERS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19980, 4 July 1939, Page 7

CALL TO FARMERS

PASSIVE RESISTANCE DEMANDS FOR TAXATION PAYMENT DIFFICULTIES MR. HARBUTT’S OPINION (Per Press Association.) HAMILTON, .this day. “The numerous and, in some cases, excessive demands of taxation taken from the .primary producer from (no value of his raw product from the time .it leaves (the farm until r;s return in (the shape o.f manufactured goods, and the small amount leJ» to distribute to him, coupled with the high added hosts, is the real cause of the farmer’s troubles. His necessity to protect himself from these unequal and added charges was the reason for my suggesting that passive ■resistance to taxation demands was ■’the only remedy left for the farmers to emnloy.” stated Mr. W. Harbutc, chairman of the Cambridge Daii> Company, in an interview upon his return from the National Dairy Federation conference in Wellington. Mr. Harbutc said that it may have .been inferred from the press reports from Wellington regarding his statement on the subject of passive resistance that the guaranteed price, or ■the price thalt would be paid to the farmer for the coming season was 'iihe main point of his remarks. He wished to- correct that impression, •and said that had ire been reported more fully, it would plainly be recognised that the added costs and the increased taxation were his greatest ■fears for the future c*f the farmer.

“Gravest Anxiety” “That coupled with the guaranteed ■price .and the primary producers’ ■capacity to pay the extra burdens, is a question of serious moment which is now giving responsible people in the Dominion the gravest anxiety,” ■■added Mr. Harbuitt. In making the 'statement that the farmer, ‘to protect ‘himself from unequal and .added •charges, should adopt the attitude of passive resistance to taxation, Mr. Harbutt was guided by experience land 1 public opinion. At another con'.ference he Attended 1 recently, discussion on the remits 1 bearing on What he had stated were practically unanimously in favour of direct action to remedy, in some way, the primary producers’ present position and their tears for the future.

“Whatever .suggestion I have made," added Ms. Harbutt, “may be taken in conjunction with the statement made foy the Minister of Marketing, the Hon. W. Nash, to the Federation of Labour last Easter and repeated to the Dairy Board conference. The Minister said on those occasions; ‘ln my political fight for Labour, I have always asked .for more, and I had now 'to .ask them not to ask for more.”