Orange Bounty Act (No. 2) 1936

How does the money flow?

1. The exporter claims the bounty
2. The exporter must pass the bounty money on to the grower, unless the exporter can prove to the Minister that the purchase price paid to the grower already included an amount representing the bounty
3. Failing to pass on the money is a criminal offence carrying a fine of up to £100
4. Where a grower uses an agent to export, the bounty can be paid to the agent, who is then responsible for passing it to the grower

Key rules and safeguards

• Claim deadline: Applications must be lodged by 31 March 1937 (though the Minister can accept late claims in special circumstances)
• Fraud is a criminal offence — attempting to obtain a bounty you're not entitled to, making false statements, or providing false documents can result in a £100 fine or up to one year in prison
• The Minister can demand books, records and information from anyone to check compliance — refusing without a good reason is also a criminal offence
• A report on how the scheme operated (including total bounty paid) must be prepared in November 1937 and tabled before both Houses of Parliament
• The Governor-General can make regulations to fill in the practical details of how the scheme works

Why does it matter?

This Act is a snapshot of how the Commonwealth supported agricultural exporters during the 1930s — a period of global economic hardship. It uses a targeted, time-limited subsidy to boost orange exports to international markets (except New Zealand, likely covered by separate arrangements). The careful distinction between navel oranges and other oranges, and the cut-off dates, suggest this was the second instalment of a bounty scheme that began earlier in 1936.