DUNEDIN PROTESTS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12860, 19 July 1907, Page 8

DUNEDIN PROTESTS.

(SPECIAI, TO "THE TRESS.") DUNEDIN, July 18. At a meeting of local electrical engineering firms to-doy, it was decided to forward the following telegram to the Hon. the Speaker and members of the House:—"The proposed increase in duties upon electrical machinery end appliances will have a most injurious effect on our business. Thero are no electrical manufacturing interests in New Zealand to support. Tho now duties will increase the prices upon imports to such an extent as to retard business, and revenue itself will suffer eventually. Trusting you will see your way to support a reduction." (Signed by six local firms). The following petition, carrying the signatures of sixteen Dunedin importers, is to ho forwarded to the Commissioner of Customs:—"Wo honestly opine that we are expressing the opinions and desires of the rest of the boot and shoo importers of New Zealand, who number over a thousand, holding their own businesses and employing some thousands of hands. As importers we wish to enter a strong protest against any interference with the existing tariff on boots and shoes, unless it bo in the direction of a reduction of the present duty. The present tariff, viewed from the standpoint of protection, is all that any reasonable manufacturer could demand, being nominally 224 per cent, ad valorem, which means, say, 25 per cent, straight out, but practically the measure (if protection which the shoo manufacturer enjoys is anything between 35 to 45 per cent., depending upon the value of the gooels imported, because tho importer has to pay freight, insurance, exchange, casing, and other incidental charges on top of the 25 per cent., which moans quite another 10 per cent, on medium to better priced goods, and this extra charge increases in proportion as the prico of the goods imported decreases. Tho shoo manufacturer has a further measure of protection in the fact that a large proportion of the raw material in tho manufacture of boots and shoes is admitted duty free, to wit, p-atent leathor, grindery, mercery, etc., whilst a very matoriol portion of tho upper leather which he uses is subject only to a nominal duty, to wit, glace kid, etc. Again, in solo leather, sheep nnd calf leather, the manufacturer has the advantage of being able to get just what his business needs first hand, as the whole of the trade is centred in tho colony. Tho present tariff, as a revenue producer, has also proved itself preeminently satisfactory, and is admitted by ell fair-minded and just men in the trade to be the most happy medium for all parties concerned, whilst providing its fair quota of revenue to the country. For these and many other equally strong reasons, tho importers of footwear iv Xew Zealand earnestly solicit also a modest measure of protection for their vested interests a net their rights as citizens of Now Zealand. Wo view with great concern the action of a smell body of operatives in the trade, and also many members of the much stronger organisation of shoo manufacturers, who are always worrying and seeking to add to the duty, and who aim only at prohibition. It is to on earnestly hoped that wiser counsel will prevail, anel that these malcontents wili not be avowed things all their own way, which would be seriously detrimental to every man, women and child in Xew Zealand, besides throwing overboard a substantial amount of tbe country's revenue. The manufacturer* have no just cause of complaint against tlie present tariff. The up-to-date shoo manufacturer in Xew Zealand was never so prosperous as to-day, and he would be infinitely worse off under a prohibitive tariff. The operative in the shoe trado was never so well off as he is to-day. There is plenty of work and steady employment for all compe- j

tent labour, together with a minimum wflgo cf £2 5s r-r week, whilst any manufacturer will readily admit that it is the men earning L' 2 15s and upwards per week whom he appreciates most and is anxious to retain. Abe statement which appeared in public print quite recently, which emanated from a section of the Christchurch boot factory employees, stating that ibe average earnings per ani.u-*t ot tne men *p«s enly JLtO, is. i.c . -.1 iy misleading but far from the actual state of things. We are credibly inlormed that there is a movement afoot to establish a trust among a few of the largest s__oo manulacturers m New Zealand, together with one of tne largest tanners and leather manufnoturers, for the purpose of control.ing the market and fixing prices. Any increase in the tariff will certainly tend to strengthen such a combination." A prominent member of the Labour party, speaking on the tariff in in interview, said:—''The benefit the ordinary toiler will get from tho tariff projKisals is hardly worth considering. Whon the wholesale merchant or manufacturer has a little nibble, ai.d_t.iM retailer ditto, there will be littlo left for the purchasers. I predict that one effect cf the tariff proposals will be that more trusts or combines will spring up in the colony if the legislature does not prevent them, and I fail to see how they can effectively stop them by any Act of Parliament. We have enough of these combines already, and if through an altered tariff we get any more, the last r.tate of the ordinary toiler will be worso than the first." Thero is a good deal of feeling among business men in Timaru (writes our oorre.'spondent) against the action of tlie Government in removing tne fiutv on motor oars. It is also considered hero that in the tariff proposals provision should havo been made whereby more assist a nee wou.m have been siven to colonial itidustrie_s. The Hon. J. Anstey. in conversation with a reporter at Timaru yesterday, explained that though the duty iiau beon removed from motor cars. this, as he understood the position, apprieel only to cars of British manufacture. Speaking of the tariff proposals as they affect the woolleui industry. »_r J. Lillioo. one of the proprietors oi tho .South Canterbury Woollen Mills, siiid' that the W r oollen Mills Associatinn bad for yeurs past brought linger tho notice of th© Government t..0 necessity for imposing a duty on imported shoddy goods, but netbing had ever been done in that direction. —— i i ii