WELLINGTON NOTES

Hokitika Guardian, 3 August 1923, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES

LABOUR AND REFORM. NO UX DEI’STAX DiXO. (.Special to "Guardian"i. WELLINGTON'. Aug. 1. Mr H. K. Holland, the chairman, ot the Parliamentary Labour Party, took the tils! opportunity that offered in the House on .Monday to contradict 1 ins story of an "understanding’ between the Labour and Reform Parties which had been circulated during the week-end. The story, he said, was a deliberate iabriratiun. put about lor tim purpose of discrediting the Labout Part \ and <Tc. r itiug the impression that it was prepared to bargain with the Reformers over the departure ol tic Prime M mister for the Imperial Conference and Hie nuttiro of the promised ci.■einral reform. Tlic I.ahour Party's altitude towards Mr Massey’s visit to London, he continued, was unchanged and it would make no compromise with

any other party on a vital'question o! policy. The newspaper that started the Story had been guilty of publishing what it knew to he a malicious and stupid lie. This was strong language, rather stronger than the eireiimstalters or the offence .seemed to jlt-tiiy; bill, there could he no doubt of Mr Holland's sincerity or of his just indignation. The Labour Party, with a somewhat inflated notion of it- own import-

ance and destiny, is m no humour just now for the discn-sioti ol terms with either of the ot her pari tes. A FARMERS’ POLITICAL PARTY. ' In his presidential address at the opening of the annual meeting of Hit' Farmers’ Union yesterday Mr A\ . J. Poison hinted broadly ai the tormatiun of a farmers' party in Parliament as a ; meat’s of obtaining ‘'better results’ for the men on the land than they are obtaining now. The idea is by no means a new one, but it is Iraught with s', many perils to the farmers themselves that the "Post’’ is moved to raise its voice in emphatic protest. "There never was a time in the history of ill!' country, ’’ it says, "when Irietioii between urban and rural interests was c matter of no moment, and there is m renter reason now titan ever bid ore for the eo-operation of such interests. . . in the common task oi getting the ut most out of the great natural, social, economic, and political advantages of this well-favoured land. II anything is likely to keep town and country apart, and widen the distance of their separation, it will he the lorliiali<hi ami perpefuatinn of a farmers' political paily, or even an agricultural bloc. Farmers will have nothing c gain from such an estrangement, hut prohithlv very much to lose il it increases.'' To this every observant student of the position -ays an emphatic "A men.’’ TAXATION CANT MR. Rut whether he gits his farmers’ parly or not. Mr Poison mat be trust - ed to keep on ] •reaching fa, me:-,' politics wish all hi- aeeu-turned zeal and cm hu-iaMii. ‘'Personally,’’ he said during; the course ot hi- addle-- yrsleriluy. "I agree with ihosc who claim that the pivsoMi st stem of taxation rclicies those ho-t able to hear taxation at (he ,-vpcii-e c, id producer, and that it has done more than anything el-.' 1,, ihrot’lc iiie agrictih iiral and pastoral industry." H, v.oni on to contend (hat the present sy.-i.au of levying the income Lt\ cripples our ite.rleultiiral ait-.l pastoral industry, taxes i!m pool', relieves the wealthy, increases the eo-t of living and creates unemployment. A system which enables taxes to he passed on until they reach the primary prodncei and (!;■• wage-eariier, who cannot pa-, ihem mi manifestly creates grate injustice. The producer was -i angering along under a Iliad ot taxation it was impossible for him to bear nnletiimely. The ivnnv.lt was lo gel hack to the individual system oi luxation. whi"h would make every cit ireu in iiie Doiuiiiinti pay according io his means and cii.dnr iiie prodiictT to keep hi.- head above water. ; Happily, -Mr Poison coneluded in an optimistic vein, the Prime Minister

| was heoinniim in rvro:>uis-.' llm m i-d----of I he Miami ion. i SOl,Mints' SKTTI.MM !-\TX. T!-‘ S -Idiers' Sm i lenient \ei Bill, int rialnef'il am! r aid a lir.-i time in ilm House of !’eore.-enl aI i vim la-1 night. was ref.nvi d v. averv m-m-ral an proval. 'I he Bill provides for ilm ere at ion of a Cm 1 1 a I Board, with the p r'H'lnenL head of the Band T)epnrtmeiltas eheirman, and a local (nininitfee in each di-lriei io impure int o i 1 •r- • omlit inn of ihe soldier settlers and io rePail. llm local commit If-e are Io undertake ilie work of revalual ion and to make I'm oiiimemla! mils io the Central Board which will consider each ease on iis merits. Tine cos: of the revaluation-, and reduction., is esi minted roughly at C'-’.dOl 1.l If H), and il is expected llial C-‘tC"MI'U or PlO.t.iOa W ill Imre Io he provided for soldier ‘.fillers wlm have exhausted tneir resources. fi was in (elided, tin l Brirue Minister explained.

to mako a revaluation lor ovorv sofdu v i . a (or out*, not onlv in tha r;i-( ( oi krul jiolil on lonw or liconst\ knf | also in iho vaso of laud sul>k*<l to f.'n. j i Hi' >ft s and t<> koc-otx] more-i;ilcc-. || was ;i very hie iinfit• r;i»d Uollld perhaps take six t oo!•.t ! is . If v;>l(i;itions were reduced, the iii'-i'lysye- would ha I“<111<•<’■(! ne-c-ordmely, :tnd serotid tnort yao-es xvould h'' dealt with liy viogolint ion between l!:o flovermnont and the second niorlLO'yoo, no re-due!ion heinp-eramed uniil !he noted ia( ions were completed. The (iovonunonl appears to he intent noon do;i!-.- the joh thoroughly.