Want tax based on land productivity tax was buod on productivity rather than land value the lax would be mora equitable PEARL THE MARE owned and exhibited by Ned Gillies of Speyside was a winner at many local fall fairs This picture loaned by Goldle Gillies was taken in 1910 McKeough Is being led around by the nose by civil servants says Harold Mid concerning decisions on the tax system The sooner we can beat the civil servants the sooner we can get at the problem Middlebrook told the Agriculture Committee of Halton County Council at a meeting Tuesday afternoon Middlebrook a Burlington farmer and an active member of the Halton Federation of Agriculture was responding to a letter from MPP Jim Slow Snows letter a resolution from the committee suggesting further study on the tax concessions for farmers is necessary Not solution The government has promised a per cent reduction in taxes for farmers with the rider that the farmer will repay the mount of the concession with per cent interest if and when he sold out Middlebrook argues this is not the answer The Federation Is asking taxes be based on productivity rather than the price of the land being Middlebrook uses an example to point out the inequity of a tanner in Wentworth with land near a Halton farm both producing vegetable crops The farmer pays an to per County Councils Agricuttim acre tax compared per Committee has backed Um acre tax to the Halton farm Federations stand In this According to Middlebrook If the respect The Acton Free Wednesday December 1970 Minister explains basis of tax rebate for Ont farmers By Hon A Stewart Minister of Agriculture Food The Government of Ontarios Farm Tax Reduction Program Is part of a major longterm program of assessment and taxation reform started two years ago This program has already relieved the municipal taxpayers of Ontario of over million annually In the costs of such services as administration of Justice municipal assessment residential property tax rebates Increased provincial grants to schools subsidies to urban municipalities for road and street construction and maintenance assistance in the establishment of new water and sewage disposal facilities The Farm Tax Reduction Program is an Interim step to ease the tax burden on farm people pending the completion of this longterm reform Inquiries Since the program was announced on Oct we have had numerous Inquiries about its application so I would like to explain briefly the basis for the tax rebate and the method of payment Under this program the Government of Ontario will provide rebates to all farm operators who reside In Ontario to the amount of per cent of their net 1970 tax bill We have arrived at the figure of per cent by determining that approximately per cent of the municipal tax bill Is for educational purposes and about half of the farm assessment is on land hence about 29 per cent of the farm tax bill Is educational tax against land Equal bails Farm people have told us that they were prepared to pay for the costs of education on an equal basis with other home owners but they resented the Idea of having their land assessed for educational purposes as well By rebating per cent of the net municipal tax bill in we in effect are refunding to Ontario farmers the educational assessment against their land leaving them on the same basis as urban taxpayers and the rural nonfarm people who have only a house and a small holding This program is being ad ministered by the Department of Municipal Affairs while the necessary funds have been allocated from the budget of the Department of Agriculture and Food Using the municipal tax rolls as our basis of calculation we are undertaking to mail these rebate cheques directly to rural taxpayers during the month of December This Involves the analysis of all municipal tax rolls to determine the eligibility of farm property owners and the Issuance and moiling of the resulting rebate cheques to the Individual property owners during the busy holiday mailing season Need acres The cheques will be mailed automatically to Ontario farm residents who have 11 acres or more of land assessed for agricultural purposes If their property is less than 11 acres and Is assessed as a farm the property owner will receive instead of a cheque an application form If upon completion of this form the property owner can demonstrate that his farm yielded a gross Income of at least from farming operations he too will be eligible for the per cent tax rebate and this will be mailed to him upon receipt of the completed application form If you are a farm operator a resident of Ontario ana you have not received by early January 1071 either a municipal tax rebate cheque or an application form you should then get In touch with your local municipal office the regional assessment office the Use winter months for real advantage By J Paul Fish Soils and Crops Specialist At this time of year most of the crops have been harvested and have been processed or stored or sold as a cash crop Farmers however should be using some of their slack time to think about and plan their next years cropping program Based on this past years crop yields and associated problems should be considering their soil fertility selection of crop varieties and pest situation Sou Fertility By now most fanners should have taken a soil test of any field on which they suspected a nutrient deficiency There Is no better indication of the nutrient status presently available than a carefully taken soil sample accompanied by an accurately filled out Information sheet As has been clearly indicated in earlier press releases it is ab solutely essential that If farmers have not already ordered their com seed for next year they should do so Immediately The amount of seedcorn of most varieties which la tolerant to the of the southern corn leaf blight is in very limited supply Farmers in the area cannot af ford to take second choice In the seed particularly when that second choice is a later maturing variety or seed which is susceptible to southern corn leaf blight Fanners also should be frying to obtain some of our more superior barley varieties such as Brock Again this seed should be ordered as soon as possible Although there have been no definite Indications of a short supply yet it certainly would be advisable to get the desired legume and grass varieties ordered right away of Pest Situation Based on the different types and densities of weeds farmers should be planning their weed control program mis fall and winter so they will be ready to start weed control operations early next spring Surveys in 1970 En Ontario Indicate that we are going to have greater Infestation of the alfalfa JOHNSON OPTOMETRY AND ACTON Sap a office of your local agricultural representative or the Departmentof Municipal Affairs There is an Important proviso to this program If at any time between now and 1980 farm land is converted to other non farm uses in other words If It Is converted into residential or industrial purposes the 25 per cent rebate will become repayable to the Government of Ontario bearing eight per cent Interest For this reason It may well be that certain property owners seeing nonagricultural uses for their land to be Imminent might decide not to accept the rebate This is their prerogative as It Is the prerogative of any tax payer and In this event the cheques may be returned uncashed TEST DRIVE A 1971 TOYOTA AND WIN A RCA PORTABLE TV Supplied by TV LUCKY WINNER WILL BE DRAWN AT OUR OFFICIAL OPENING HALTON TOYOTA A DIVISION OF HALTON TRUCK SALES 1967 LTD HIGHWAY 23 JUST NORTH OF AT MILTON 8783121 SATURDAY DEC 12 AM to PM ENTERTAINMENT FEATURING RON HOPKINS AT THE HAMMOND ORGAN COFFEE SERVED weevil over a much larger area In the province Therefore farmers should make themselves more aware about the level of this pest in their area methods of Identification cutting practices and If necessary spray program to control the alfalfa weevil Farmers should also make every effort to find out all they can about the leaf blights in com because we may be faced with these diseases as well as corn borer and stalk rots which all certainly reduced corn yields this past year In conclusion with the Intensity of farm enterprises today the farming public must use the next few months to real advantage tin the areas of soil fertility selection of crop varieties and examination of the pest situation Hunter wins In Dorsets Stanley Albert Hunter R 1 Burlington had excellent success at the Royal Winter Fair with his Foiled Dorset sheep In this his first year of exhibiting a lock he placed first His yearling ram was second in its class and the reserve champion of the show In the yearling ewe class he placed second and third and third In the ewe lamb class Mr Hunter is a leader of the Sheep dub Halton Toyota Toyotas newest dealer MARK II HARDTOP Grand Saturday December Hwy25 just north of 4018783121 Milton IOHlI Toyota cars ore sold and from 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