LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2912, 26 October 1916, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

PENALISING THE FARMER WHAT THE BUTTER-FAT TAX WILL LEAD TO. Sir, —Regarding the tax on butterfat, I would like to point out that if the Board of Trade havo power to impose a tax of the kind, without tho content of Parliament, we are under autocratic government, and 1 would certainly recommend dairy companies to test tho legality of such a tax before submitting to it. lam afraid tho Board of Trade have made a huge mistake. The first results of such a tax may cheapen tho article for a time, but *he result in the end will bo that the consumer will pay moro over a period of years tiian Jio would have done it the price had been left to the regulation of supply and demand.

The farmer has tq. pay more for ren-1 net, manures, building material, fencing wire, seeds, implements, machinery, and many other things too numerous to mention. His sons and his assistants have gone to the front, and in spite of all difficulties he is increasing production. But what will be the result when this class taxation is piled on? He will simply knock off working sixteen hours a day, and already farmers who wero struggling to get ground ready for cropping to increase the output have decided to let it remain in pasture, and I have not the slightest doubt that numerous heifers that were intended for milkers will be left to rear their calves. Volumes might bo written about the difficulties that the dairy farmer is struggling against. The old man labour and tho cliiid labour employed, but I think it is enough for me to say. I was a dairy farmer for ten weeks myself once, and it nearly killed me.—l am, etc., NOT MILKING.