The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-04-03 00:00:00

THE MALT-TAX.

On the subject of the Malt-tax, The Times has published
the following letter :
Sir,—l am not surprised that attention is now, on
the eve of a general election, being drawn to the op-
pressive nature of this most unjust tax. As I have
for many years, both before and since I have been in
Parliament, given great attention to this subject, I
shall be glad to be allowed to have a word or two upon

it.
The malt-tax is levied on barley on its conversion
into malt at the rate of 2s. Bid. a bushel. There were
58,752,934 bushels of malt charged with duty in the
year 1878 (see "Statistical Abstract," p. 103), ana the
duty therefore came to the enormous sum of £7,956,126.
I find from the same useful little book that the land
on which barley was being grown in the UnitecLKing-
dom in the same year-1878--was 2,722,879 acres. It
will thus be seen that the malt-tax amounts to a charge
of £2 18s. sd. an acre on every acre on which barley is
grown.
It seems to me that this is a fact—a stubborn fact—
which the farmers ought to know, and that they ought
to bring it home to the minds of those who aspire to
be their representatives.
But it is not only the farmers who are interested in
this matter. It is wer known that malt is a most
valuable condiment in the feeding of stock, and were
it not for the heavy tax upon it there is no doubt it
would be very largely used for this purpose. It is
also most valuable for ewes in the lambing season. I
shall, of course, be told that under what is called
" Gladstone's Act" malt can be usaffor feeding; but
although legally this is so, the conditions under which
it can be so used are so harassing that the Act is in-
operative.
Speaking broadly, I do not hesitate to assert that if
the malt-tax were repealed we should have beef, mut-
ton, milk, and butter much cheaper. This tax of
1&s. sd. an acre interferes materially in the crop-
ping of land, which again must tend to increase the
produce of it, but this iskitoo large a part of the evils of
the malt-tax to enter upon.
Now that the farmer is open to competition with all
the world in all that he produces, I think it is but fair
and right that so unjust, oppressive, and exceptional'a
tax should be removed.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
J OSHU A FIELDEN.
Hotel Bellevue, Cannes, March 23.

In reference to the abOve letter, the following has
also appeared in The Times :
Sir,—Mi. Fielden, in advocating the repeal of the malt-
tax, makes use of one argument the error of which it is most
important, at the present moment especially, should be
corrected. Speaking of the use of malt for feeding stock,
he says :
"I shall, of course, be told that under what is called
` Gladstone's Act,' malt can be used for feeding; but
although legally this is so, the conditions under which it
can be so used are so harassing that the Act is inopera-
tive."

Now, I would beg to reply that during last year I made,
I suppose, 500 sacks of malt, mixed, in accordance with
that Act, with linseed, and' have used the same to the
greatest advantage in feeding my stock. In fact, in this
disastrous season I know not where I should have been
without it.

So far from any conditions of the Act being harassing,
every facility was most willingly given me by the authori-
ties at Somerset-house, and there really is no difficulty what-
ever, legally, in the proceeding.
The causes of the Act being inoperative must be sought
elsewhere. At all events, the want of malt as food for cattle
can no longer be pleaded with truth or fairness as a reason
for meddling with the malt-tax.
I have the honour to be, your obedient servant,
Wiston-park, Steyning, March 30,

JOHN GORING.

The prediction that the Irish famine and the un-
settled condition of Europe would send a great wave of
emigration to America is already being Lamed._
_seven
steamers landed nearly three thousand persons at New York
last week. So large an influx at so early a period is, it is
said, unprecedented.

A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF MELBOURNE.