DUTY ON SUGAR

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIV, Issue 21053, 3 June 1938, Page 8

DUTY ON SUGAR

Injustice Claimed By Beekeepers Removal Sought The removal of the duty on sugar tor feeding to bees is to be sought by :he National Beekeepers’ Association, is a result of a remit carried at yeserday's concluding session of the Association’s annual conference. Remits to that effect were submitted by the South Auckland, Manawatu and Taranaki branches. In moving the remit, Mr A. R. Bates said the Association had fought for the remission of the “injustice” for years, but the Government had persistently changed its ground and no satisfaction had been obtained. There was a substance now procurable by which sugar could be made unfit for human consumption and yet suitable for feed for bees, and in view of that fact he thought the Association could confidently ask the Government for a remission of the duty. Mr E. A. Earp (senior apiary instructor. Wellington) said it was true that there was such a substance as Mr Bates mentioned, but it was made in Germany and there were difficulties in obtaining it as the Germans, he understood, were raising objections to its use outside Germany. As an alternative. Mr J. Barber suggested that the Government might estimate the amount paid in taxation by beekeepers and give producers additional inspectors proportionate to that sum. Alternative Suggestion Stating that he had been opposed to the remit, which was a hardy annual, for years, Mr W. Bray said there were in the ranks of the beekeepers themselves men who were producing honey which was not a marketable commodity as the flavour was too strong for human consumption. That noney could be used to feed bees and honey was the best bee food there was 1 It might be a good proposition for Canterbury producers to use that, honey which came largely from the Bay of Plenty, but the only danger was the spread of disease, although he understood the apiaries wlxich had been closed down ’ i the Bay of Plenty had been free of disease. Another good reason why the remit should not be carried was that it would go out that honey producers were customers of the opposition, which was sugar. They knew that sugar was used to produce brood and not honey, but the possibility of being taken up wrongly by the public should be avoided, he said. Taxation Unjust The principle of taxation was that it should be equitable, said Mr G. Kirker. The amount of tax paid by a rich man on the sugar he ate was not much more than the amount paid by the poor man. but when sugar was used to feed bees the taxation became unjust. Referring to Mr Bray’s suggestion. he said that the cost of producing the honey was such that there would not be sufficient to give producers a living if they had to sell it to other producers for feed. The Cawthron Institute was working to perfect a process to make the dark and unpalatable honey suitable for consumption and when that was done producers in the Bay of Plenty and other parts would have a market. Explaining that he knew of the difficulties which existed, Mr W. Nelson (chairman of the Export Honey Control Board) expressed the cpinion that the putting forward of the remit would at least draw the attention of the Government to the position. His Association was righ* behind the proposal. Mr Bray's suggestion to feed bees on honey unfit for human consumption tion was impracticable, said Mr Bates. The remit was carried. FELL UNDER TRAIN RAILWAYMAN’S DEATH By Telegraph reap Association CHRISTCHURCH, June 2. Thomas Madden, aged 56. a married railway storeman employed at Lyttelton, was run over by a train at Lyttelton this evening and suffered injuries from which he died soon after. .Passengers or. the 5.10 train from Lyttelton told the guard that they felt a bump r the train was leaving the station. The guard telephoned to Lyttelton from the next station. Heathcote, and Madden was found alongside the line seriously injured. He died in the ambulance.

it was going to do more than just talk about it. He vas satisfied that if the men got decent allowances while in tiaining and a decent opportunity of fitting themselves to earn their living latei- they would feel that they had something to enlist for. Unemployment and enthusiasm for defence could not exist together. The Government would face its responsibilities in that respect. Men Should be Encouraged It was about tune that private employers got past the appealing stage. They should know that they had as much to lose as the fighting men and probably more, and they should see that young men were encouraged to enlist and not made to feel that their employment was prejudiced through absence on training. The Gove-nment would guarantee that the men were not going to suffer after their period of training. He commented on the suggestion that ’ nationa register jf all effectives in New Zealand should be compiled, and said that in the past that had been the foundation of conscription. In regard to training >n the use of gas masks, it Lad been agreed by experts that while such training was very necessary in Britain, there was no risk of anv large scale gas .ttack on New Zealand and that any attempt would only be spasmodic.

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