Horse breeder
industry from the Capitol
building in Harrisburg.
Taxes and the operation of
the purse funds of the
Pennsylvania Harness
Racing Association are
behind the cause of the
mounting turbulence.
State tax laws in Penn
sylvania grant agriculture
operations exemptions from
the sales tax levy on
production inputs, like
fertilizer^equipment, feeds.
But, a fine-line legal in
terpretation of that sales tax
law has barred operations
like the Hanover horse
breeding stables from the
benefit of that exemption.
Hanover, and other similar
breeding farms, are angry
over what they feel is an
unjust and discriminatory
sales tax interpretation.
While they tolerated the
for some time, now
[lthey’ve begun to fight
“We’re agriculture, we
belong to-> farmer
associations,” emphasizes
John Simpson. “Our
business is with horses,
pasture, grass, feed We are
an animal breeding and
marketing organization ”
Because Pennsylvania
laws consistently refuse to
recognize them as an ag
production business,
Hanover pays a six per cent
sales tax on everything hay,
straw, oats, semen,
machinery, fuels, even
materials to fix the barns
State-related disagreem
ents, however, don’t stop at
the tax bureau There’s also
the problem of low purses
(money winnings) in a
(Continued from Page 15)
racing category known as
the “sire stakes.”
“Sire stakes” are race
categories open only to the
offspring of sires standing in
service in the state operating
a track. Pennsylvania sire
stakes, for example, are
open only to competing
horses bred by sires stan
ding in stud right here in the
state.
Each state divides up
differently the funds it
receives from “breakage,” a
small amount of the money
not paid back to bettors who
win in pari-mutuel
wagering. Some of the funds
are used for various state
projects, while other monies
are plowed back into racing
purses.
Racing in Pennsylvania is
managed under the
jurisdiction of the Penn
sylvania Harness Racing
Commission. In 1977, over 13
million dollars of the pari
mutuel breakage funds were
dispursed from the Com
mission to various state
departments The
Philadelphia School District
got over 4.5 million, the
Department of Commerce
claimed almost two million
for assorted projects and the
state’s General Fund
received a share of over 6.5
million, earmarked toward
projects like water, sewer
and access road facilities in
boroughs and townships with
populations of less than
12,000.
Therefore, most of the
Pennsylvania funds go mto
various types of government
funding - very little goes
Uses for Roundup herbicide expanded
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Mon
santo Company has received
Environmental Protection
Agency registration ac
ceptance expanding the use
of Roundup herbicide. The
new uses include:
-Spot treatment in corn,
back to the racing com
petitors, notes Simpson. In
states like New York and
New Jersey, though, a large
portion of that breakage is
turned back into purse
money to be paid to race
winners, especially in the
sire stakes categories.
So, Pennsylvania horse
breeders are losing growing
amounts of business m
service fees, and in breeding
stock sales. Customers are
instead turning to neigh
boring states who offer more
potential winnings to home
sired offspring.
At Hanover, the problem is
turning into a genuine
economic concern for John
Simpson Like all economic
battles, the war will un
timately be waged on the
battleground of the check
book.
In an attempt to outflank
the enem> of tax disparity
and low purse returns,
whispers of moving float
through the ranks at
Hanover Shoe Farms.
“Never before have we
sent so many mares out of
state to be serviced,” pon
ders Simpson. “There are
altogether 87 mares standing
m four other states and
Canada, making their off-
soybeans, wheat, oats,
barley, grain sorghum, and
cotton. Either hand-held or
boom equipment may be
used.
-Applications after last
harvesting of asparagus up
spring eligible for higher
stakes competition than
right here at home,”
“Now, you know what that
means?” he queries. “That
means less horses stabled
here, with less hay, less
straw, less "grain, less
locally-purchased inputs to
be bought.”
Hanover currently em
ploys 85 men. A cutback in
the present horse population
of 1391 head means less
work, lost jobs, less taxes
paid, less money all-around
to be spread throughout the
entire local business com
munity.
“With the fmest eroun of
lorses in the world here at
danover,” says Simpson, we
idp stimulate the export
trade for the state. It not
only helps the national
balance of trade, but it helps
boost the Pennsylvania
economy.”
No one at Hanover even
wants to think about leavmg
Adams County and Penn
sylvania with it’s rich soil
and an environment that’s
nurtured the harness racing
greats. But if the tax battle is
lost, for John Simpson and
others, it may be the only
path of retreat
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 2,1979—17
until one week prior to
emergence.
-For sugarcane, Roundup
may be applied prior to
planting, to remove last
stubble or ratoon cane, and
as a spot treatment in
growing cane to control
weeds or diseased cane.
-For all labeled tank
mixtures used on minimum
tillage corn and soybeans,
one quart of Roundup may
be used when annual weeds
are less than six mches tall.
The minimum rate
previously labeled was 1.5
quarts regardless of weed
size.
Roundup is a foliar
applied, non-selective
herbicide sprayed when
weeds have reached a
vigorous stage of growth.
When applied directly to
foliage, it translocates
throughout the plant,
destrovmg above and below-
ground plant tissues, in
cluding the reproductive
root system of perennial
weeds. Application rates and
tuning will vary according to
the weed species being
treated.
Many emerged nuisance
weeds such as Ber
mudagrass, Bindweed, and
Rhizome Johnsongrass can
be controlled with one ap
plication of Roundup where
several herbicides and
frequent treatments may
have been needed before.
Since Roundup will not
control seeds or unemerged
weeds, the use of a label
approved seedling weed
control herbicide or other
seedling control measures
are recommended by
Monsanto to help prevent the
re-establishment of annual
and perennial weeds from
seed.