LEVY ON RABBITERS

Southland Times, Issue 24773, 18 June 1942, Page 6

LEVY ON RABBITERS

Sir, —The recent controversy between “Taxpayer” and “Rabbiter” about the anomalous tax on rabbitskins seems to have fizzled out without either side managing to hit the nail on the head. Rabbiters and children surely could be given an incentive to clear the country of rabbits and have their hard-earned “fat cheques” as well, for the cheques certainly are hard earned when the rabbiters have to work in winter frost and biting wind. It is only human nature to want to raise extra capital, or for the children to want to start a banking account. Moreover, because of the propensity of the rabbit to reproduce its kind, one rabbit caught during the winter is equivalent to at least 12 in the summer. So to me, as an interested observer, the whole position amounts to this: the Government is simply exploiting the ruling high price for rabbitskins, but at the same time is laying itself out to be exploited in a like manner by the rabbiter. He could possibly leave all his rabbiting until the summer. The skins would not be so good, but there would be twelve where there was one before. Besides, he would be receiving the extra four shillings in the pound, and the Government would pav it cheerfully—or would it be the taxpayer? PRO BONO PUBLICO.