POLITICAL.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 June 1925, Page 1

POLITICAL.

-MR O’EEIKX AT KO KATA HI. .Mr J. O’Brien, Ar.IL, delivered n prc-sessional mldrexs at Kokatahi last Saturday evening. Mr .J. Fleming presided, and briefly introduced .Air O'Brien, wliom, lie .said, had been an active worker for the district since his election to Parliament. AI r O’Brien, on account of the coldness of the night spoke briefly, and gave an account of |ho principle legislation passed during the 1023-24 sessions of Parliament. He stated that the most important legislation dealt with in the two sessions was the reduction in. the land and income tax. It was clainv-d by the Reformers and a good many Liberals, that the poor tax-pay-ers were groaning under the burden of taxation and wanted some relief hut when the proposals were brought down it was - "on that the poorer taxpayers got little or no relief, while the large

land owners and income-tax payers got huge sums annually by llm reductions. I ke !a:iJown<-rs who had a taxable balance ol C1,0f)() got relief equal to 8s annually in 1023. and those with a taxable balance of ;C10,1)0(1 received I’elic-r equal to C'3 per annum. But those with a taxable balance of £137,•MO were relieved by £1)11 a year. The reductions in income-tax worked out

the same way. An assessable incomeof CIOll a year received relief equal to 2 1 annually, but an assessable income "i I-'IO.IMK) a year was relieved,by £733 Ox 8d a year. In 1924. the reductions '■-' re similar. The landowner with a taxable balance was relieved 8s 4<l a year, ami nm- with a ta.xble balance of 22-"i!).0il!l was relieved of £S|7 I Is 2d a

year. In- reductions in income lax worked out so Hull an assessable income of £IOO was relieved hy £2 13s Id per annum, and one of £30,000 received rebel equal to L'l.ltl'J 13s -Id a voar. A\ In le these huge sums were given in rebates to the wealthier people the larmers were in a wretched financial ■■ale. !■ armors, for the past three years headed the list of hnnkrupticics in the Dominion and seventy live per

driv.-u !mm tkeir land and houses as soon as the mortgagees could find a buyer for the land. Kverywhere one "cut tin* same story was heard from the larmers; I oil's of hard work and

struggle to pay an increasing interest hill, and the haunting knowledge that they won:.l eveui milly fail. All this had to be remedied, ami the Labour Party was the only party who 4md any dolinile solution to the problem. Air tl'Brieii also deall with several oth.er matters such, as hon ing, pensions and the necessity ol closer co-operation beta ecu the consumers and the producer' and the elimination of the middle-

At the cuiirlusioii ol .Mr O’Kric'ii’s iidriress sowrn! local mailers were ilisciissctl. and .Mr O’Hrieii promised to L:;ivc support to the completion of Murray's Uoail : liladier’s road river projection and the hack road around Lake Kanieri. A hearty vote of thanks to Mr n‘l?ri«*n moved by (lie cliairiimn, and a voto of thank* to the chair brought the meetinj. l : to a close. AT Kt ATAST. Last niy;ht Mr O’Urien spoke in a larye, enthusiast if* meeting at Huatajui. Mr W. Wdson was voted to the (‘hair. M i (TBrien spoke «»n similar lines as regards the reductions in land and income tax as at Kokatahi. Me also dealt, villi the lmu*i Mjj; .diort st a I inji that lie-re was a shortage ol 2l,D()(l houses in trie Dominion. People wore living in sordid, wretched conditions in tin* l ines. The public, local body and. private debt of the people Would readi six hundred million sterlinjj;. On this hnyt* *-iim iu(<*!‘* l -1 ha.l So le jiaid, and it could only he paid hv I he people who were doiny; useful work. Lo-s than half the people were a i productive work and the harden fell heavily upon them. .Mr O'l’i n n severely critici s'd I he (‘overnment for t he way it treat ed the pensioners, such as the old people and --i'C- *• ■> ** MK&xtarztiZ**-. vm * Trwifiiq

widows. ALr O’Brien was applauded dress. Mr T. Jones moved a hearty vote of thanks to Air O’Brien and Air T. Growcoti seconded and the motion was carried with acclamation. -A hearty vote of thanks to the chairman moved hy Ah- O’Brien brought a very successful meeting to a close. vigorously when he concluded his ad-