CUSTOMS DUTIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 228, 26 September 1934, Page 11

CUSTOMS DUTIES.

STOVES AND RADIOS. TARIFF FINALISED. AMENDED RATES ON PIPES. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Consideration in Committee «f the three items held over when the Customs Acts Amendment Bill was previously in Committee was resumed in the House of Representatives to-night. The first itftin dealt with the amended duty on wireless sete. t The Minister of Customs, Mr. Coates, said that radio manufacturers had expressed willingness, to be placed on the same footing as English manufacturers, but not the Australian or American manufacturers. The item, as amended on September 13 and providing for an increased duty on foreign sets, was agreed to.

Mr. J. A. Nash (Government, Palmerston) said he intended to move an amendment to the clause dealing with electric ranges in the direction of reducing the duty on British ranges from 20 to 10 per cent. He did not desire to injure any local manufacturer, but with the high duty in force to-day he thought he was justified in asking for a reduction iu the duty on the English range. Mr. D. G. Sullivan (labour, Avon) opposed the amendment. He said ranges were now produced in New Zealand that filled local requirements.

Mr. W. J. Poison (Government, Stratford) said the amendment would favour the" Canadian article rather than the British. If the duty came off Canadian electric stoves it should also come off British gas stoves.

Mr. H. G. Dickie (Government, Patea) regretted that the amendment did not make a reduction on gas stoves as well as electric stoves.

Mr. Coates said he could not agree to the amendment. More than 300 men were employed in the manufacture of electric heating appliances and ranges. The amendment provided for a reduction on all heating appliances.

Mr. Nash: I don't want that. I want a reduction on ranges only.

Mr. Nash altered his amendment to make it apply only to electric ranges, but the amendment was lost by 42 votes to 13.

On the item dealing with pipes, Mr. Coates said there had been considerable changes. He moved an amendment as follows: Steel or wrought iron pipes, .from four to eight inelics, 20 per cent British preferential; sand cast-iron pipes, free; spun cast-iron pipes, four to six inches, 20 per cent; all others, free; spun wist, from Australia, four to 12 inches, 20 per cent; cast-iron pipes, n.e.i., free. The item was agreed to. The Committee stages were then completed, and the bill was reported to the House with amendments.