LOCAL AND IMPORTED BOATS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 74, 20 December 1907, Page 8

LOCAL AND IMPORTED BOATS.

COMPLAINTS AND A REPLY., INTERESTING. COMPARISONS. Rowing men are not pleased with the clause of the new tariff which imposes a duty of 20 per cent. 011 imported boats, which formerly were admitted free of duty. I hoy are considerably annoyed at the imposition of this duty in the case of boats ordered from Melbourne months before the present tariff came into existence. The Star lioating Club, ior example, ordered three ..boats last June, for which it will have to pay no less than £22 lbs. in excess of tiie amount anticipated. Had the club known that such a duty would be imposed, it would not have imported three boats in a single season. The Wanganui Club is chafing at a similar unexpected demand.

A deputation from the New Zealand Rowing Association waited on the Hon. J...Millar the other day to protest against the duty upon general grounds, and especially against its imposition.in these special cases. As regards the general grievance, they were informed that it was too late to discuss that matter, the duty having become law, but ili regard to the .request 'that the duty should be remitted in . the case of boats ordered before the passing of the tariff, the deputation did riot leave the Ministerial presence void of hopes.

An interesting aspect of the question is the opinion expressed to a Dominion representative bv more than one prominent rowing man, that New Zealand builders cannot turn out boats equal/ in lightness, speed and durability to the best boats that come from Melbourne. The New Zealand product, it was stated, looks very well indeed when it is first' launched, b\it it is pounds heavier than the Melbourne boat, without having the same lasting qualities. The woods used were supposed to be the same, but it was suggested that they -were noi submitted to the same amount of seasoning in- this country as on the other side. The New Zealand boats wero not "stiff," and there was lengths' difference in. tlieir speed as compared with the Australian craft. It was admitted by one critic that a local builder had turned out a few first-class racing boats, but, speaking generally! and especially for recent years, the rower thought that the best boats cairie undoubtedly from Australia. , 1

The local builder referred to, when seen by our representative, was able to make out a strong case, in reply. . He stated that at the championship regatta at Lake-Forsyth last season, his boats, competing against those of six outside builders, won sis first places, seven second, and fivo thirds, out of a- total of ten races. Other regatta figures which he quoted were scarcely less convincing. He had also built for the Wellington Rowing , Club for the Exhibition regatta, held her 6 about seven years ago, the lightest four-oar boat in tho Southern Hemisphere, its weight being 1071b, or 4 Jib. lighter than •tho previous lightest. As regards durability, that craft was a good boat yet, and the boat which won the championship of thi> year before last was built by him for tlie Blenheim Rowing Club, thirteen years ago. As showing the necessity for a duty on imported boats, he said that till, it was imposed ho had to pay 2s. per 100 feet super on timber, • and 20 per cent. ,c|uty on boat fittings, while tho finished craft from Australia' was admitted free. Moreover,, as tho charge for carriage is 9d. a foot to'take a boat from Wellington to Picton, and only 1s! a foot to take it from Molboujno to New Zealand, and labour is much cheaper and subject 'to less restrictions in -Victoria than in this Dominion, the Melbourne boat can be landed here at the same price as the local article.

There is, however a development- in view which should satisfy both parties—those who like the Australian workmanship and those Vho like to support New Zealand industries. Tho local builder, unable to obtain .sufficient skilled New : Zealand labour, intends, importing it'from Melbourne.