TAX ON BUTTER

Kaikoura Star, Volume LVI, Issue 93, 26 November 1936, Page 4

TAX ON BUTTER

THE PATERSON SCHEME Under the Paterson scheme and under its successor, the equalisation scheme, the Australian consumer of butter has to pay what amounts to a tax of 4Ad per lb. This fact was brought out by Mr Lane, Federal member for New South Wales, in a (question put to the Australian Minister of Customs (Sir Henry Gullett). Air Lane suggested that the Tariff Board should conduct an inquiry to ascertain whether the but ter-manuffticturing industry was taking advantage of the protectionist duty of 6d a lb British preference and 7d a lb general tariff to charge high prices to the Australian consumer. He said the excess cost of 4 ; 'd a lb charged io the Australian consumer amounted to £3,480,589, or 10/6 a head, per year. Sir Henry Gull, replied that the existing duties had been recommended by the Tariff Board, therefore the Government did not intend to take the action suggested. When the question of prices was raised it was stated that. Australian “choicest” butter was sellii> in Mel,bourne at 140/- per cwt. and in London at 105/-, both wholesale.