FARMERS’ UNION ONFERENCE.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 27 July 1916, Page 5

FARMERS’ UNION ONFERENCE.

(Per Press Association)) WELLINGTON, July 26. The Farmers’ Union Conference adopted the following remits;That native lands which benfit from the expenditure of local rates of Government grants, where the titles are individualised or held in common, should be placed upon the same footing as regards such rates as laud held by Europeans; that town members of Land Boards be paid for attendance at meetings, the same as country members; that this Conference protests against land owners being singled out to pay a greater part of the war taxation, the present war taxation being tantamount to a class tax, and this Conference considers that any taxation for purposes should be an equitable one, and should bear equally upon all classes of the community. Other remits adopted were: —Otago; That the Conference protest against any embargo on the export of produce, or the imposition of export duties; North Canterbury—That the Government be asked to increase taxation on luxuries and amusements; that the Conference favours the system of taxing incomes, as being the fairest way of reaching war profits from land owners and all other sources; Pelorus— That the Conference affirms the principle that New Zealand should assist, materially in the naval defence of the Empire by providing ships and men in lieu of a naval subsidy; Auckland — That the Conference urge upon the Government the advisability of putting into operation compulsory service forthwith, a committee in each district to decide who should go to the. front and who should remain to carry on th® work of production. The president (Sir James Wilson)) referred to conscription as enacted in the Unitedl States during the' Civi War. The result was very curious. The levy was unsuccessful and disappointing, but it increased enormously the number of volunteers. It Would be a mistake to dc||iwaj||vith th j voluntary system, %ven fr conscr ption brought, intpforce, ; a. Wi I -■fry T.ri aT* I