THE BUTTER QUESTION

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 25, 25 October 1920, Page 4

THE BUTTER QUESTION

HOW THE WORKERS ARE MISLED.

Speaking on the butter question at tk meeting of the Wellington executive of the Farmers' Union at Palraerston. North on Saturday, the president (MrT'W. J. Poison) referred-to the ignorance of the public generally regarding tho financial aspect of tho matter.

He had had it stated to bun by a number of workmen, lie said, that the "ifassey Government had taxed tins workers to the extent of .£OOO,OOO in order, to further fatten up the farmer." The facbwas4hat tho workers' share of the taxation was practically wliollv through the Customs, The revenue of tho country was considerably oicr tiv«niv millions, and Customs duties, with oxcise, only accounted for .£3,304,000 of that sura. Now, the butter levy was paid out. of the Consolidated Fund, consequently labour only paid the proportion represented by its 6haie of tho Customs duty. That share could "be more or less .computed. Half the Customs duties was represented by tobacco and alcohol. Of tho other half, the general public paid three-fourths, so that the workers' share represented altogethei considerably Jess than half a million. In other words> out of tho total taxation of the country, labour only nay* about a'twenty-fifth, and its share of the butter tax would in consequence be very small. These things only required to be pointed out. The worker, was otten misled by false information.