THE ORCHARD TAX

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 119, 16 November 1932, Page 5

THE ORCHARD TAX

FIREBLIGHT CHARGES

REMOVING AN ANOMALY

The foreshadowed amendment to the' Orchard Tax Act exempting citrus and stone fruit orchards from the special fireblight tax was introduced, into the House of yesterday. The Bill was read : a second time pro forma, and referred to the Agricultural and Stock Committee. ; .

The Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. C. E. Macniillan) who is in charge of the measure, explained that under the 1927 legislation an orchard tax at the rate of Is an acre was im-' posed for the general purposes of'the fruit-growing industry, and in addition there was a special tax up to 5s an acre imposed in commercial fruitgrowr ing districts to-provide .funds for protection against fireblight. As fireblight did not attack citrus or stone fruits, it was considered inequitable to . charge with special • orchard tax those orchards in which such -fruits.were exclusively grown,,or, in the case of mixed orchards, to impose the same charge as for those, areas "which are used exclusively for the production of citrus or stone fruits.. Accordingly the Bill exempted those • orchards and areas by limiting the incidence of the special tax to areas- with apple, pear and quince trees. The anomaly was aii obvious one, and had to be corrected.

The Minister said that the Bill also provided for the payment out of the proceeds of the fireblight tax of fees to members of fireblight committees. They had large areas to traverse, and at present received no payment.