PENALISING THE FARMERS

Taranaki Daily News, 18 October 1927, Page 11

PENALISING THE FARMERS

(To the Editor.) Dear Sir. —In looking through the Customs tariff, I eee that thia industry and that one are to have a little more protection; in fact, almost every industry in the country is to be proteeted. Rennet used by cheese factories, which juts up to now come in free, is to have * duty on both British and foreign, although at present in all New Zealand there is only one small rennet factory employing about three men. And another industry which at present only employs nine men is to have mere protection. Yet, 1 fail to find anything in the new tariff that will be the slightest use to that large and in many cases unprofitable industry in which so many men have lost all their capital. I am referring to the industry of converting New Zealand bush lands into farm lands. But rather the whole trend of the tariff is the other way. The duty has been taken off raw cotton, so that pur manufacturers can buy foreign cotton instead of New Zealand wool, and the already heavy duty on slashers and fernhooks is to be in. . eased, although most of those that are purchased are used, by farmers who have deteriorated L land in trying to elea r the second j growth and manuka on their farm-. As j manuka scrub has to be cut off level | with the ground, a slasher is soon worn ! put hitting against stone, etc., so that p farmer with scrub to cut is frequently called on to pay two or three shillings tax so that the nine men employed in making slashers can make a little more money. In fact, we can take it as an indication of the present Government's attitude to country workers and farmers when we bear in mind that the duty has been taken off raw cotton and gramophone records and loaded on to rennet, slashers and fernhooks. —I am, ptc., SCRUB-CUTTER. i Eltliam, October 16.