TARIFF REDUCTIONS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 82, 31 December 1907, Page 6

TARIFF REDUCTIONS.

FROM THE NEW YEAR HOUSE-.WIVES AFFECTED. "Ivo ribbons and laces to set off tho faces , Of pretty young sweethb'arts and wives," sings little' Buttercup in ' tho opera, aud theso things can bo had-this Now Year at a reduced duty." Also a. multitude of. cotton picco goods,' prints and muslins, will bo freo of duty from to-morrow. The now tariff regulation's in respect of these articles come, into fqreo with the New Year, 'and several of the largo drapery establishments state that the public will receive, at onco, tho benefit of the chaugq. A largo importer of goods allied to drapery, but just sufficiently different not to be affected by ~ tho reductions, was sceptical on this point. He assured' a Dominion 'representative that..tho drapery, firms would merely take advantage of tho new tariff to disposo of. roninant stock at a , reduction which they would- attribute to that cause. Drapery, importations, ho declared, .were mado almost solely about tho months of March arid August, for the winter and spring seasons respectively. The present was not .'the time for importations; it was the beginning of. the great time of sales. No shipments would arrive for some time that would be affected by the new tariff. "• Leading drapers, however, denied emphatically this -Coldly cynical story. Ono of them stated that he had had in bond for several weeks thirty or forty cases of goods which he had bought specially in .Melbourne for importation under the new tariff. They were being kept in bond until the duty should disappear with the midnight knell of- Decern-. ber*3l. He' supposed? that altogether there must be under, bond at Wellington at least a thousand cases of drapery, that, was being held back by various importers for the same reason. Ho.- added; that his firm had already ■held' one.saleiat reduced rates, to<diminish, stock in view of the expected influx of new, duty-free articles. , ;' --'.." '".'.'. ''AN'ARTFUL'PLAN." The reporter was also. told of a method of evading duty, by whioh, it was alleged, the. Government has lost ■ thousands .of pounds during'the last. few. weeks. ..Firms' which'have agencies -in .Sydney, it. was stated, have been' shipping back to that! port -.goods ..which., they received under the old expiring.tariff,'-and'in doing so secured a robato of : duty oh the " returns." Tins can bo done a considerable period after tho. importation of the goods, and even after they have been unpacked. Apparently, it has paid these firms-to repack their goods and find the cost; of freightage for the. sake of sending stuff .'to Sydney, which can either bo'taken ..charge-of by their agents there, or landed'on.'the'wharf- and brought back, in .some cases,, .by the same vessel, afterwards', to ho' left, m bond until the new tariff is in force. GOODS REDUCED. "The tariff alterations that come into force with ,the New Year'are as follow:— - '. . The,duty of 10 per cent, is'removed from cotton piece goods, including Turkey twills, dress 'prints, denims', drills, dimities, flannelettes; array grey shirting,, moreen, canvas for fancy work, dungaree for working suits, cotton cord, linings'-for'dressmaking,, and. liberty'muslins. ';' . '.''•■ The dutyi'of 20 per cent.,is,taken off tapestry',' 'cretonnes,,' chintz, - art crepe, serges, velveteens, plushes, 'all kinds .'of damasks, mocjuette,. all sateens,..- lirie.ttes, crepons, crimps, zephyrs, ; ginghams, all cotton'prints, piques,_ vestirigs, m'arcellas,- muslins, dress arid millinery "nets, window nets, hollands, curtains, blind hollands, bed and pillow ticking, rolled'twillings, nainsook, dress hollands,- ■ pillow linons, linen sheeting, linen froritings, crash twillings, all linen towelling, and damask and table linens in piece. , The duty on.' lace'" r.o'ods, ribbons, crepe, silk, satin, and velvets has boon reduced from 25 ]>er cent, to'2o per cent.-, in order to put all piece goods, except cotton, on tho samo basis, and facilitate the work of the Customs. With a similar object, tho duty on hosiery, which, is made to include all sorts of woven underwear for both sexes, has been raised to 25 per cent., the amount previously placed on decorated hosiery. It will bo noticed that tho articles on which duty is now free are thoso which will most affect the poorer classes, including, as they do, shirting, towellings, hollands, and table-linens. AN EXPLANATION. Some other articles besides' drapery will como.in ■ free after.to-morrow. Among thesei will be all'.window glass, including plate-glass for windows,'which has'hitherto.been liable to a duty of 2s..per 100 feet superficial. As window.glass is always, coming to hand, wo are informed that tho public will reap the benefit of this change almost at once. They have not yet felt tho advantage of thoy abolition ...of. duty on paper-hangings, which..took place as from November 1. Tho explanation,.of this is said to.bb that paperhangers had no expectation of this removal, and. wero all; heavily stocked when it was ■notified.'., iThoy- have, therefore, been ordering;'very ..cautiously, eyor sinco, knowing,that; it will be hard to dispose of their existing stocks' when' onco ,tho.new,designs aro to, hand.. It will be some months yet, a leading paper-hanger stated,, before papers imported under the new tariff are on the'market in any quantity.', .