Industry Attacks Fabrics Decision

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31519, 6 November 1967, Page 12

Industry Attacks Fabrics Decision

(New Zealand Press Association) WAIRAKEI, November 5. The Government’s decision to subject all imported heavy synthetic fabrics to substantial tariff duty from January 1 came under heavy attack at the annual conference of the New Zealand Textile and Garment Manufacturers’ Federation, at Wairakei today.

The federation will approach the Minister of Customs (Mr Shelton) to express its grave concern at the wide implications and sweeping

nature of the decision to withdraw all concessions of the tariff related to woven fabrics containing man-made discontinuous fibres and weighing more than 5] ounces to the square yard. The federation’s secretary (Mr J. M. Taylor) said the decision had been taken without prior consultation with all the manufacturing groups closely affected. “It is so sudden and so harsh in its impact that it requires amending and rearranging to avoid unjustifiable increases in the cost of many garments,” he said. In many instances, Mr Taylor said, the new tariff would neither increase the sale of woollen fabrics, nor save overseas exchange because the fabrics involved were being used as substitutes for other non-wool fabrics. He said it was essential that some breathing space be allowed to readjust the procedure so that concessions on genuine cloths, those not competing with wool, could be continued. The new tariff duties on heavy synthetic fabrics were announced by Mr Shelton last week after complaints that New Zealand imposed a heavier duty on imported woollen fabric than it did on some synthetics.

Taranaki Acclimatisation Society rangers took water samples from the Waiwakaiho River, New Plymouth, on Saturday, after large quantities of dead fish were found in the river. Trout handed to the society showed signs of acid burning.