SHEEP TAX AND WHAT COMES OF IT.

Motueka Star, Volume I, Issue 38, 20 December 1901, Page 4

SHEEP TAX AND WHAT COMES OF IT.

Xhe £ Witness -recently . contained an extract from a North Otago paper in which reference was made to the unequal operation of tire sheep tax, seeing that, while the tax is supposed to defray the cost of the Stock department, it is a fact that horse and cattle owners and dairymen derive as much benefit from inspection as do sheep owners, though the latter are taxed directly while the otheis are not. There is something in this contention, for from ‘ the latest available returns I find that the sheep tax and brand fees bring iii about L 22,000, and that is the amount now paid annually in salaries to about 140 officers employed in the Agricultural department, which includes the Stock department. For the benefit of those who do not see the annual report of the department, I will ask the editor to insert the list of the 140 officers employed, whose total salaries amount to the sheep tax and brand fees collected last year—namely, £22,000. Secretary and Chief Inspector of Stock. Dairy Produce Inspector, London. Assistant Chief Inspector of Stock. Chief Clerk. Biologist and Entomologist. Assistant Entomologist and Fruit Inspector. 12 Clerks. i Cadet. io Veterinary Surgeons, six of whom are engaged as Meat Inspectors. 3 Dairy Instructors. 3 Fruit Experts. 1 Poultry Expert. 2 Nurserymen. i Farm Overseer. 1 Agricultural Chemist. 2 Caretokers, Quarantine Stations. i Assistant at Veterinary Laboratory. 3 Fruit Inspectors and Clerks, etc. 1 Messenger. 44 Inspectors of Stock. 37 Rabbit Agents; 5 Caretakers of Rabbit Fennes. 5 Graders of Dairy Produce. 2 Assistants to Graders of Dairy Produce.

It seems to me that those who pay sheep tax get no direct advantage there from except a portion of the duties of the 44 inspectors of stock, as per above list. There is really no logical reason why sheep should be taxed nowaday.", any more than cattle, horses and swine. I believe the sheep tax was instituted in the early days when sheep scab was prevalent, and vigorous measures were necessary for stamping out the disease, and the Provincial Governnlents required revenue for defraying the cost of officials appointed to see that the regul itions re tob ciodif ping, etc., were carried out. Moreover, in those days, the sheep were pretty numerous, while the total number of other stock was so small as to be hardly wo -th taxing. As stated by me in a note of a few months ago, the total cast of the Department of Agriculture during the year 1899 was £6O, or nearly £40,000 in addition to the receipts from sheep tax, which, as ,1 have said, just about pays all the sala ies. This £40,000 was made up as fellows: Destruction of Rabbits ... ... 6700 Travelling expenses ... ... 7000 Travelling expenses Produce Commissioner ... ... 200 Experimental stations ... 3000 Encouragement dairy industry 200 Encouragement poultry industry 500 Experimental fruit stations ... 500 Establishment of dairy schools 1500 Cool storage for dairy produce 7000 Grading“of dairy produce ... 1200 Collection of statistics ... 4000 Inspection of vineyards ... , 800 House’for rabbit agent ... 129 Rates on farms ... ... .34 Compensation for cattle killed 2000 Contingencies ... ... ... 6000 £40,000