FARMLAND RATES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20025, 25 August 1939, Page 4

FARMLAND RATES

HIGHER COLLECTIONS MR. D. W. COLEMAN’S VIEW SPEECH ON THE BUDGET LABOUR POLICY DEFENDED (Parliamentary Reporter. ) WELLINGTON, this day. A criticism of the Government policy on the grounds that county rates on fanning lands had risen sharply since the Labour Party came into power was taken up by Mr. D. W. Coleman. (Lab., Gisfooi'ne). in his contribution to the financial debate in the House of Representatives. He defended strongly the actions of the Government. and claimed that though rates were admittedly higher, county councils were collecting a greater proportion now than in 1935.

The suggestion that rates had risen by 60 per cent was doubted by Mr. Coleman, who, however, concentrated his attention on the general criticism of policy. He pointed out that when the Labour 'Government came .into power, rates on farm lands 'were low, but the councils were unable to collect a substantial proportion of the levies. Even if rates had increased to 60 per cent above the 1935 scale, the county councils were now collecting more than 90 per cent of the rates struck.

“Tory Organisations”

The 'Hon. H. T. Armstrong interjected the comment that the county councils were “Tory” organisations, too, Mr. Coleman agreed, and said that ho had been about to .point out that the county councils were not composed of Labour Party supporters. He asked members of the Opposition what was the good of low rating if even low l-ating could not be met by the farmers working the land? To-day the fanners were able to pay the higher rates, and a little thought on the part of Opposition critics would convince them that the Government's policy was not doing the harm they had thought it was doing. Social Security Act The Gisborne member also referred to the criticism of social security provisions, made toy the member for Rangitikei. The criticism had been limited, he said, to the statement that the medical services were not available, and a complaint about the cost of social security, made without reference to the .benefits the scheme was bringing to the people.

“He never considered what the benefits under the Social Security Act mean to 'the aged, the invalids, the widows and orphans. That aspect of the matter is not considered by Mr. Gordon,” said iMr. Coleman. “He only considers how much the scheme is going to take out of his pocket.”