FARMING AFFAIRS

Lake County Mail, Issue 23, 29 October 1947, Page 8

FARMING AFFAIRS

This column is supplied weekly by Federated Farmers of New Zealandj. The information given is official but any views expressed are those of the federation and are not necessarily those of this newspaper. BOARD ALLOWANCE The Dominion Dairy Section Council continues to press for an increase in the amount allowed by the Commissioner of Taxes for the keep of dairy farm employees. A request was recently made to the Minister of Finance to have the airiount increased from £ 1 to £1 10s a week. In his reply, Mr Nash said the matter had been discussed with the Commissioner of Taxes who explained that £1 per week, to which the farmer was entitled as a deduction in respect of the keep of farm employees, was the maximum amount permissible where the claim for rations purchased was estimated. When the farmer maintained a record of the rations purchased for employees, he was entitled to deduct the actual figure in his return of income. The commissioner considered that the arbitrary sum of £1 a week, used where the claim was estimated; was fair and reasonable and it was not proposed to make any alteration. WILD PIGS ON FARMS The Minister of Agriculture has notified Federated Farmers that he has Obtained Cabinet approval for the payment of a £1 for £1 subsidy to county councils with a maximum subsidy of £2OO in any one year, on money expended from their own funds on wild pig destruction work. The subsidy is payable in respect of poisoning operations, the purchase and issue of ammunition to pig hunters and on any additional bonus of up to 6d per snout which may be paid by the councils. County councils concerned had been notified of the terms of the scheme, wrote Mr Cullen. The subsidy was, of course, additional to the existing universal bonus of Is per snout. In view of the application of the new scheme it was not intended to increase the rate of the universal basis.