LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2564, 11 September 1915, Page 12

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

„ *4 ; ' THE WAR TAXES AND THE Y FARMER. Sir, —I f seo that the Budget will be freely criticised,: though it--. appears •without the intention of cutting down tho amount that is required l for pensions and tho war, • _. What our dear lads are, fighting for . , ie. worth paying for, and the only question, seems, to be how the money is to - be raised * May I criticise the'business .-from.my.'.point of view? / .'' v:Tho cry* about putting.the .burden on to .the shmildors of tho'big .men who are inakingeourraous profits 011 the sale of •" their -moat and wool is not altogether a" iair one. ; To "begin ' with, lamb' is quoted at : over Bd. per lb. 111 London,# but.the big ; man does not get it. His meat is taken by the Government at a fair prico_for •'•••■ an ordinary season, viz., for lamb, 5Jd. to ojd. per pound, f.0.b., to bo paid for V iiyhen it is shipped, and any amount of ; it in thd. freezing chambers waiting for shipment. With regard to wool, most of the big- ' men grow merino-wool. 11l the January sales, 1915, the price of merino nvool was about 4d. per lb. less than in January,-1914. The rise in price was ■* on crossbred, wool, which would como moro into tie pockets of" the' smaller

■ • men.. .■■ ... " ■ Chaff and cereals have bqeii abnormally lugh' in^price, :but: that was caused ' more by the dry season and light crops than by-the war.. .'Without saying anything against.the :: farmer' being"charged iincome tax as ■ a .war tax,-! would say;' the area should be extended by reducing the exemption to, say, £200.. ': The duty on petrol and kerosene is more a tax on industry than on luxury; and shduld.be dropped. The duty en ■ soft drinks wiU cause more annoyance •?. 'than;it is':/worth. .The; duty on. spirits ' might well have been raised! to £1 per gallon,' with double duty on immature -spirits.? . The duty on beer' might be 'doubled, with an extra big duty on anything jiot made of pure malt and hops. Extra postage Mould be by ordinary postage stamps; Tho proposed-Jd. war " stamp would cause a good deal of extra •> trouble. Tho authorities'could estimate * the amount'of it.lfawar stanip is re-. 1 quired,' an "ad .valorem . receipt stamp ; iwould be a good opening for it. If ;aroceipt stamp of a penny oil £2 is a fair - ,tax, 2d. on £4 is equally fair. Few peo- . pie would object "to iise 4s. 2d. stamps >when. they received -£100./.The receiver would provide tho stamps, and the ; payer* would;' see to the receipt being • properly stamped for his own security. •A large amount could-be raised in this' ivay without being much felt. • . ._ . '; t • -'I hope economy-in public works will be ■ successfully urged on the Government, iboth for the sake of keepirig down expenditure at a- critical time, and of leaving labour free for the agricultural . needs of the country. Our liberty is at ."■■■' stake in this war, and the small man is' asmucli,entitled 'to pay his' share as ' Kthe 'big man-.—l am;-' etc.,-- - FARMER,