THAT BUTTER BONUS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3355, 6 December 1919, Page 5

THAT BUTTER BONUS

O ——~ WAS IT AUTHORISED?

WHAT THE FARMERS. SAID

"PAY UP, OR NO MASBEYITES."

The decision of the Government to pay £340,000 of the taxpayers' money to the butter producers by way of a bonus was the subject of some severe comment by Mr Fowlds at Auckland • on Thursday night. He pointed out j that although the actual quantity of produce shipped from New Zealand during the war years was less than | before the war, the producers of this I country actually received £46,580,000 j more for their produce than they \ would have received on the 1914 prices, j while the same producers bad also re-j coived at least £15,000,000 more for j that portion of their produce sold in j New Zealand. In face of this to go | along to the Government and ask for a gift of £340,000 from the purse of the taxpayers wa s in his opinion a wrong thing. "Still," he added, "that is exactly what you can expect if a Reform Party, under the control of the squatocracy of this country is returned to power at these elec- ! tions. , (Hear, hear, and applause.) j At question time a member of the audience rose, and explaining that he j was 'a director in a "eo operative company operating for - the small farmers, stated that the average income of these men was about £l5O a year. Had the Government declared outright that they were gping to requisition lall the butter at 1/ a lb, where would have been no complaint. But they did not. Instead, they put on an export tax, or butter levy of §d per lb, and all that was being done now was the repayment of this money taken away from these farmers. "It simply meant this," added the director, "that the farmers of the country have said to the Government, 'You have got to pay that money back again, or we won't sent a single M&ssey candidate back to Parliament.' '' (Laughter and cries of "Oh! oh!") Mr Fowlds agreed it was unconstitutional for the Government to make a levy without Parliamentary sanction. H t > was entirely opposed to unauthorised taxation, and he promised to look further into the matter of the butter levy. If the Government had not taken Parliamentary sanction for the butter levy he would withdraw his objection to the payment of the £340,000, though he would maintain that the Government had lamentably failed in dealing adequately with the cost of living and the matter .of prices. (Applause.) A member of the audience: If the farmers threaten not to send any Masseyite to Parliament unless they paid this bonus, then I hope Bill will put a levy of 2d on them. (Loud applause and laii'-'iter.) Mr Fcwlds: But I 'am sure that Mr Messoy would not be guilty of bribing farmers. (Renewed laughter.)