FARMERS’ UNION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 23 July 1924, Page 9

FARMERS’ UNION.

DOMINION CONFERENCE; (BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, July 23. The Dominion Conference of the Farmers’ Union was continued to-day. It was resolved that as the policy of the Farmers’ Union is the establishment of the co-operative marketing of the primary produce of the Dominion, and also a co-operative shipping line, this conference instructs the Dominion executive to confer with the Sheepowners’ Federation with a view to obtaining such control over the wool trade as will secure all possible trade for our proposed shipping line. It was resolved that all municipal trading concerns be liable to taxation. Another resolution was that the companies’ income tax be abolished and replaced by the individual Graduated income tax. The Commissioner of Taxes attended by request and made some comment on the following remit: That the system of collecting overclue land tax be investigated, it having come under notice that demand had been made after five years had elapsed, the property meantime having changed hands three times. Air. Clark explained that the provision was an old one in the Land Tax Act, and it meant that land tax followed the land. The reason why there had been some hard cases of late was that a lot of people fell into arrears during the war and just after, and the department endeavoured to give them a chance. Finally the department had to come on the mortgagee, it being utterly hopeless to collect the tax from the people who had defaulted. The provision was characteristic of all land tax laws, and as far as he could see it would have to be retained. The remit was withdrawn. Various remits on the question of the land and income taxes borne by farmers were discussed, and the following resolution was adopted: “This conference is of the opinion that the land tax discourages production, and should be replaced by a farmers’ income tax.” The conference also resolved that, whatever the attitude of individual members towards either land or income tax, this conference agrees that under no circumstances can it support dual taxation in the shape of both land and income tax, and urges the executive to use every means in its power to prevent such a catastrophe. Remits were adopted urging a review of the stamp duty on mortgages- to give relief to mortgagors, especially in view of the early lifting of the moratorium, and a reduction of the stamp duty on conveyances and mortgages.