DERATING FARM LANDS.

Putaruru Press, Volume VIII, Issue 364, 13 November 1930, Page 7

DERATING FARM LANDS.

UNANIMOUS APPROVAL. At Conference of Farmers. “ That this meeting considers that, owing to the change in the system of transport and the very wide usage of roads, rural lands should not now be called upon to bear the cost of construction and maintenance, and that the cost should be borne by the users of roads, as is the case in Great Britain, Canada and Ireland.” This resolution, moved by Messrs. G. H. Pirrit (Morrinsville) and A. C. Vosper (Putaruru), found unanimous support at a farmers’ convention held at Te Aroha on Thursday, when up to 50 farmers attended despite the bad weather. Mr. A. A. Ross, of Auckland, president of the Auckland provincial executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, presided, and also present were Captain H. M. Rushworth, M.P., Mr. C. E. Macmillan, M.P., Captain F. Colbeck, Mr. A. E. Robinson, and visitors from Putaruru, Matamata and Morrinsville.

Mr. J. E. Leeson supported the resolution as being one of the most important from the farmers’ point of view and one which should be pushed. Captain Rushworth had stated that New Zealand had in the past led the world in legislation. While this might be so in regard to socialistic legislation the speaker had never heard of it being so in regard to farmers’ legislation. (Laughter and applause.) It was time farmers got moving. Captain Colbeck stated that it had been said that derating would kill half the motor traffic. If so, it would also kill half the maintenance, but he did not think this would happen. Some farmers’ representatives on county councils opposed derating because it would mean a present to the farmer. This would not be so, as it would be simply restoring what had been taken from him. Rates in New Zealand had increased by 700 per cent, in 12 years, but the farmer had not increased his use of the roads by 700 per cent. It was the main roads which cost the money. In the past the farmer was only interested in the road to his station, and it was unfair to ask city people to contribute. Now, however, the position was different, as it was the main roads which cost the money. Sir. J. J. Shallue held that a broadminded view should be taken as the country could not run traders on the railways and on the roads. Traders on the roads would pass on the tax and it would come back largely on the farmer. He urged greater attention to confining such traffic to feeder roads to the railways.

The chairman held > that it was a fallacy that a tax on imports was paid by foreigners, but in this case it was different. The oil companies put on as high a price as they could, and if a solid increase was put on benzine a large proportion would be

I! paid by the companies. They were actually carrying a proportion of the _ tax now. Mr. D. B. Higgins urged that the resolution should be pushed. The Reform Party had taken this plank from the Country Party’s platform and would be using it at the next election. If farmers stuck to derating they would get it. Mr. Hawke said he had withdrawn from the Auckland Automobile Association because the association opposed derating. Rates had become an intolerable burden on production costs. Mr. Robinson stated that the i users of the roads would get the £50,000,000 already spent on the roads as a present under derating, j If the expenditure on roads were j capitalised in an endeavour to place J the roads on the same footing as the railways they would tax motorists right off the roads. However, they did not ask for that, but only for a fair thing for the future. The motion was then put and carried unanimously.