TAXING CHEESE PRODUCER.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5350, 5 February 1916, Page 7

TAXING CHEESE PRODUCER.

COMPLAINT AND REPLY

Speaking at the opening of the new cheese factory of the Waikato Co-, operative Dairy Co., Aka Aka. Mr T). J. Nathan, senior director of Messrs Nathan and Co., of Wellington, deprecated the action of the Government in taking over such a big proportion of the output of cheese factories at 7Jd per lb when the cheese tlwit day was worth 9d, a difference of Cl 6 per ton, or on 15.000 tons of £240,000, roughly. Why should that industry lie specially’ taxed, ho asked. Such should not be so. Ho was opposed to class taxation. It was a special contribution or war tax on a particular section of the farming community, and no doubt the 7id whs a fair price based on the experience of previous years, lint if the cheese had to be taken, why not a portion of the wool and butter? No farmer grumbled at having to subscribe to the wnr funds, but they had given of their best, their families, and it did seem unfair that that particular section should he singled out for that particular treatment. Referring to Mr Nathan's remarks a little later, Mr .1, A. Young, M.P., sa.kl the point wanted a little explanation. It was not really a tax on the cheese producer. The Government had comman<leered a proportion of the dutput of all cheese factories in the Dominion, for which they pa id a certain price—7id. That purchase was on behalf of the Imperial Government and went, to feed the troops of Britain and her Allies on active service That was a most important point, as it assured the cheese producers of the country of the certainty.getting for th< residue-- the main volume <>t their produce—-shipping uocomrnodation to get it to England which was the main market for fixing the price ruling for cheese. It. would he little satisfaction to the cheese producers of New Zealand, he said, to know that rhee.ro was worth a good price in London if they could not find the shipping space to get it to the market, therefore the suggestion that the cheese producer was specially taxed as against any other ©hiss of producer was one tlial was likely to convey a wrong impression.