TARIFF INQUIRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 205, 31 August 1933, Page 11

TARIFF INQUIRY.

LAST OF THE EVIDENCE AUCKLAND SITTINGS END. VISIT TO FACTORIES* Having completed the hearing of evi-l dence in Auckland, members of the Tariff Commission will leave to-morrow for Wellington, en route to Dunedin, where the South Island sittings will open on September 6. To-day the commissioners paid a further round of visits to local factories. The sittings in Auckland began on August 1, and in the succeeding weeks an exceptionally heavy volume of evidence has been dealt with. It is expected that the submission of evidence in the South Island will occupy at least another month of the commission's time.

Opposition to any increase in the duty on piston rings imported from England was expressed by Mr. E. A. Knowles, sales representative for F. W. Cave, Ltd., agent.3 for Wellworthy, Ltd., of England. It was pointed out that a duty of 3d a ring, as suggested by local piston rin£ manufacturers, would be equivalent to 95 per cent ot the f.o.b. value of the rings from England. He considered tl.at advantage would be taken of any additional protective duty by the local manufacturers.

An additional protection for English lacquers and varnishes was sought by Mr. H. D. Guthrie, manager of Guthrie, Bowron and Company, Ltd. The present duties were British 20 per cent, foreign 35 per cent and Australian 20 per cent. The proposed increase was to 45 per cent on the foreign products. Mr. Guthrie also asked that a tariff of 25 per cent be imposed on imports of foreign cellulose lacquers for use in the treatment of leather. Packet fasteners, commonly known as zipp fasteners or sliding fasteners, were klso admitted free of duty, and Mr. Guthrit requested that a duty of 5d a foot bo levied on foreign manufactured fasteners of that type. Other Requests. Tennis gut and animal glandular products, which are now admitted free of duty, were two of the imports brought to the notice of the copimission by Sir. J. M. Connelly, of Connelly Brothers, who asked that no alteration be .made in those two instances. The first cost of good grade guts was so high that if a duty were imposed the users of the product would be forced to concentrate on the cheaper grades, which had been proved unsatisfactory. Animal glandular products were not treated in New Zealand, and were already very expensive. The landing charges on fountain pens was now SGJ per cent for British and 101 per cent for United States manufactures. Mr. Connelly sought the abolition of the 20 per cent British duty and the reduction of the foreign from 45 per cent, plus 9-40ths, to 20 per cent. A reduction in the duty on aluminium cooking utensils was asked for by Mr. Connelly. The present rates were: British 20 per cent, and foreign 45 • per cent, plus SMOths. He suggested that the tariff on British imports be abolished and that the foreign tariff be altered to 20 per cent. Motion picture equipment and films formed the subject of representations by Mr. R. G. H. Manley, manager of the photographic department of Frank Wiseman, Ltd. (in liquidation). He sought the "lowest possible duty" on projectors and the abolition of the duty on raw film.