Farmer Bearing Intolerable Taxation

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 313, 26 March 1928, Page 9

Farmer Bearing Intolerable Taxation

MINISTER HITS CRITICS “MAKES MY BLOOD BOIL” (From Our Otcn Correspondent l HAMILTON, To-day. Strong exception t* the resolution protesting against the heavy taxes on motorists, which was passed at the meeting of the North Island Motor, Union, was taken by Hon. A. D. McLeod. Minister of Lands, when speaking at Raglan on Saturday evening. Mr. McLeod said he wished those who dictated to the Government had been with him on his tour of the country. The resolution passed was a disgrace and proved they knew nothing of the difficulties of settlers in the baekblocks. “If they had to farm the country in some of the places I have seen to-day they would not object to an extra 30 shillings or so taxation/’ said the Minister. “if the burden of local taxation on the men on the land grows the situation will rapidly become intolerable. People near the city are benefiting from the hardships of country folk. I have no hesitation in stating on this or any platform that no matter what the consequences may be to me politically, when men who never go outside their own offices criticise payments that have to be made to support the man on the land, it makes my blood boil.” Earlier in the evening Mr. Campbell Johnstone said the petrol tax should be Is a gallon, instead of 4d. He said the motorists had not, and were not. paying a fair share toward the upkeep of the roads.