THE BUTTER-FAT LEVY.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 November 1916, Page 8

THE BUTTER-FAT LEVY.

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER GOYICIiXMEXT ACTIOX JUSTIFIED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. A number of members 01' Parliament waited on the .Minister to-day to urge the abolition of the butter-iaat tax. i'lit deputation comprised: Messrs. Anderson (Mataurn), X'ouug (Waikato), i'ield (Ota,d), Okey (Tanuiaki), Wilkinson (Jigmont), Ilornsby (U'aiiarapa), Dickson (Channel's), isykes (.uasterton), and Hunter (Waipawa). The chiet spokesman lor the deputation was Mr. U. J. Anderson, who stated t/iat memuers were there to present the views of their constituents in regard to die outtei'-vat tax. The Minister liau said it was not a tax, but a license tee. J.mit was, However, a mere quibtne oi ttoras. i\o member of X J arliament liau oeeu invited to join tne deputation vi nose constituency Had nut a large proportion of tiairymg. Tne deputation mougill it quHe I'i-jit mat tlie vioverumeiu .-liuuiu enue«,or lo leuuee tne tost ot living", out it was not rignt tnai iiie resuitaiiv 103s snouiu oe placed upon any uuuvuunii jiiuustry; 11 suoulu Oe jorne uy tne general taxpayers 01 tne *0111111'). i.e coineuUtu mat tile tax aeieu uiijusuy upon one oi tne nardest\vor.img -Liiu ws iiieipiaabie in cmer w»jtut every loJlu..- oi outier-iat iat small uaaibivchs man iook to tut iuctory, ne had to pay very nearly l«. it meant in many cases tiiat tne =inau man \ae was not taiKing aoout me uig man) v.ouid have to pay lor every co>. at least a year, doming to the cueese uisa'.ets, «ic said; tne wiiole u» tne auutnianU province «'ou»d pay into tne lima ill nit vicinity oi m ieturn iur wuicn it wouid receive uuoiu XiWj, uecause it liau only 'two outter xi.e resuit was mat went to oilier parts oi tiie Dominion. Aew -papers stated mat cueese was being Lv/iuiaiiiiaeereu iu pel' «>• ill i-u.idon. \te, in tne coum lsxaiiu, auueu oilered it to tuc cany hi ti.e season in, t>«-,

■urn uie WiiOie uutpirt toluu u.ive becii at »/4u., puu tiiis au-iiuiuiule tit.\ ..a s jjiateu on it uisteau. j. in.- iioii. o. Aittii the poir.. tlmt tne Government was just Uo uii.vioua as iiii'UiJtra of tne deputation rennet tne cost ul nvmg. \»neii uie couutry was uaca. \wtu ail inuiieaiuto iiicl'Ltioc Hi uie ituiii price ot uuuei* to , s iou, ana u iiiue ni*er to 'ii pur lb., uie omy nay uie Vjuveriiiueju cou«. ,io»d prices in restraint was uy a. uci»nice promise nun. it wuiau ucii Win. uie s.iiuuon. .\ir. AiiueioOii: AViiy didn't you purchase I The Minister: Do you suggest that we did wrong in tne mcaiou >■<! adop«eil iu reducing-\the price oi butter.' lou suggest that uie buruen snouid be borne uy tlie general taxpayer. ".Ur .iiornsby: 'luit same as was done ivitn wheat!

iUr. Alien added that they had been looking at the matter trom Ule point Oi. view ui losses sustained, but lie woulu invite tlieiu to looic at it- ironi the point of view oi gain, as tneiv was an absolutely unrestricted 1 ti butter had been cominandtsivd ?A U. id., the dairy tamer would be getting 2V,d. per pound less than he was receiving at present. The only commodities left unrestricted, as far as their export was concerned, were butter and ! cIIGCSG. | The Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald stated that dairy farmers had pointed out that the restriction of the price to Is. 7d. per lb. was harassing 'them, and stated that if they could not increase it to Is. 10d„ the whole of their supply would leave their factories and go to cheese factories. This was the reason why this particular system oE taxation had been adopted. There were 70,000 people who owned from one acre to 100,000 acres, and controlled the whole of the produce of this country, hut what about the other million people? Were tliey (toin» to allow 70,000 to raise the price of food products without limitation. \s soon as ilift Government put its finger or oir commodity to reduce the price of tbon that section which V<as affected claimed that it was being harshly treated a ; s compared with pre-war rates Dairy farmers, alter taking off the levy of _%d. per lb., were now receiving an additional od. per lb. The Minister then quoted the following comparative prices prevailing before and since the war: —

Figures in the 1918-column are shown with" deduction made of .fid. per lb., equivalent td %d. per lb. of butter-fat. The Minister concluded by quoting the restriction?, placed on other industries, will! a view to showing how favorably the letter people were situated in having unrestricted markets. Under present conditions, he said, until Parliament was in session, lie could not see how any great alteration could be made.

1914. 191C. January .. February March April May 11.25d.10.98(1. l-O.ild. ... 10.18(1. 13.37(1. 14.27(1. 14.7Sd. 14.88d. ... 10.2Sd. l.V'Sd. ... 10.59(1. 15.43(1.July August .... September 11.20d. 16.38(1. 10.39(1. 17 .Bid.