GRADUATED LAND TAX.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2107, 15 June 1907, Page 1

GRADUATED LAND TAX.

PROTEST AGAINST ANY FURTHER INCERASE.

At Uic annual ,conference of representatives of tlie North Canterbury branches of the Farmers’ Union on May 30th, the question of the Graduated Tax was brought lip for discussion.

Mr. Loadley moved the following remit from Ashburton:—“That this Conference protests against any further increase of the Graduated Land Tax, as hinted at by Mr. BlcNab in several of his recent addresses on the Land Bill; and regrets that the Leader of the Opposition his signified his willingness to accept and support the proposed increase. *’ The mover said Mr. McNab had offered tho increase as an alternative to the limitation clauses. Nobody asked for cither, and if Mr. Massey expressed willingness to accept the alternative it was a matter for regret. The producers were sufficiently penalised already, and if any increase of revenue was desired, it should be obtained by raising the Income Tax, and letting the drones pay- a little more.

Mr. ,T. C. Cooper (Wairarapa) seconded the motion, and said the conference should move a stronger motion on the proposal than in the Land Bill. If that was tho only alternative, they should swallow tho Land Bill bolus bolus. The underlying principles of both proposals were identical —laud nationalisation. He asked why ,in view of the annually recurring large surpluses, more revenue should be required. New Zealand was the heaviest taxed country, excepting Western Australia, in the world. The first act of Lord Cromer in Egypt was to reduce the land tax by one-third, in the face of a deficit. The result had been to raise Egypt from a position of one of the poorest countries in the world to that of one of the richest. The surest way to kill an industry was by increasing the tax upon it. Mr. Lill (Ashburton) said that dur-

ing the past few'years the land tax had been doubled, and the industry could not support anyone. Nowadays tho men who got land got trouble. The only thing for it that lie could see was for them all to go to tho Government and ask for a billet. (Laughter.) Mr. Mull) oil and (Darfield) said evidently there was no intention to increase the land tax —only the graduated tax, which was expected to produce the breaking-up of large estates, and that was why, perhaps, Mr. Massey had accepted it- It did not appear to be a matter affecting the bona fide settler, and for that reason ho could not altogether agree with the motion,

Mr. Evans (Kaiapoi) contended that the town and country should share alike in bearing the burden of taxation. Mr. Warren (Greendale) said he did not altogether agree with the, motion, and contended that the large estates were much more undervalued than the smaller holdings. Mr. Sheat (Dunsandel) said the valuations were being increased so largely that oven the small farmers were rapidly approaching a stage of being caught by the graduated tax. The Government should go in for cutting down expenditure by getting