PREFERENTIAL TARIFF.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 157, 27 March 1908, Page 9

PREFERENTIAL TARIFF.

. IMPORTERS PREPARED. SERIOUS EFFECTS,ON DRUGTRADE. . Most of tlio'.provisions of tho new preferential tariff ..will, tako effect from April 1. A huge number of articles ,of all descriptions, which: can i; bo riianufactured locally or obtained through -British channels, will then be -to: an .extra duty,-if imported from foreign parts. / Generally speaking, tho private consumer will not lie greatly: affected by tlio alterations;' He" will [use the local or British, -instead of 'tho foreign;: article, and iri-many cases-where-ho strongly prefers tho foreign product,' wholesale importers havo stocked such excessive quantities .'under tlio: old -tariff that'priccs are not likely to' be: affected : 'fcir a 'long time.... i-'Por- instance',' among a host of articles whose duty will-now be'; increased by' GO per 'cent, if tlley: como from foreign > countries. •is the indispensablo box of matchesr' lMost of. tho wax matches' are already obtained locally or- from England, but'3'ppderi matches' are imported in largo numbers from vSweden, ' Japan)' ,and' ■ other coiiiitriife' Ordinarily. speaking,' tho increase, of 'duty from ,Is'.'; to' Is.' OcL a'gross might he expected to kill this trade ill safety matches, and ' possibly' kill ~ also, the ' .highly ; nervO\ls ho'usewifp',: ivlio. cannot 1 sleep at night if She infagiiifeb'; that some of the terrible wax vestas iii lifer husband's'.pockets. Biit.Vin" yiofr. of Such baltplties, tliti ful,;/merchant lias- stookert sufficient' satoty matches. to.-, supply;.the' 1 trade ■ for' eighteen . moiiths 'to* come, Slid owing, tb tho competition ..iinioiig merchants, it is unlikely',,that anyoiio Will havo courage to raise the. price. Imported clothes' .pegs,' which.c&nio under tho. heading; ( woodenwaro mid turnery," have-.also; teen-secured for. .tlip .housewife's future .needs, iu., enol'lilpUS : quantities,, and. there must bo nearly : as .-.much' Swiss , con.densed.j,milk;. in:Wellington:.at the present time as there is in Switzerland. When tho supply, gives.; pittj.-aiid ;.Swiss;inilk .becomes a luxury for' tlib'ricli, it is' expected that tho foreign' makers will Commence its manufßCture in : this,country• Already there; is,a New Zealand,article,..which; has bonofited -cphsidcr* abl^'by';tho' ,past''tSi'iff,.,and lnay sohip ; . day beiiefft; furtherifonv itsl increase. ; ,:. • tFAfJ-REACHiNG; EFFEOTS ON DRUG;

'''/ TRADE. . fthp-most'.serious results' of.-'tho' new'tariff',ard' to 'occur 'iii''connection with \t-he" 'drug, A':lea'diiig Weal au J fchbrity 6ti. thd ihipbi'tatiSlv fthtl Sale pf drugs expressed;himself. af .follows on < this subject; to/a .poMlNloN ■ represeutative yesfei'day :*-r '' Tlio : *.c6niiiig./••iiijtb . operation . of thp,^pfefef- ; eiitiaif.tariff;\nll,:ih. my.opinioiij-'be a, matter of -considerable' moment to the^members > of. the drug trade, : and will have a ffioi'e farTeaching eifeot i upon prides. than these who have hot gone' into the' matter Call, haVe any idea of.; :1 :bavotiiken' : th6 trouble to inquire •into, the/ Scope" .6f- its bperatio.nsj -and rhave been -astonished At tlie Ulimbef -of lines that wijl -be affected •by it. Not ■ only-;drugs',-, but druggists' proprietary : - .medicliies. toilet 1 soaps,'' 'and toilet preparations, Will have ;tb^ace':ah : additional duty^:/Of '.half as much again as forhieiiy. For'instanc'o, drugs and "di uggists' 'sundries" 1 of! other than-' Bn-, : 'which,;' unde'rjthe old■' tariff j; paid;|22 "{ier, .centV !duly,- thp j>re-,' ferentiaj 1 , tariff;'-pay '33'per"Ceht., :: aild toilet'soaps iiild .toilet pfeparCitioiis '.'4l per/cent., instead of; 27 j. per' coiits. j'. as hitlierto.' You' must;"; understand' th'at' '.'the^terni'• toilet'-pre-paiations 1 does; not ' apply t6; lilies of "per* 30s.' pelliquid gall6n,;and aro .not t6'be further penalised by a : preferential rate, You' will, therefore, see. 'that.ldealselling rates, both wholesale 'and ' retailjlilust necessarily _ ad-' va i nco l -..but ,outside of.- soaps and toilet linos'; tho' increase will only be felt appreciably .Oil the.highrpricod goods, numbers,of-wilieh are established in publie favour, .and: are...in :eyeryday. dema'ntl-; consequently;-the, consumer,| will have to face the additional cast.- In my opinion, tho tariff will-not, as fur as the drug trade: is ''cpncerned/ proVcrof' any appreciable benefit.tp manufacturers. By far the greatef r rtißn'm the good. quality .Un^sj'in-snap's'.and; toilet :pr6jaratio'ns oil iliis m^rX<^ : by, American' Stfd, v Cpntj* - aeAtalfmakefsV-jiThe 'gd'p3s '£re 4 fsp.ul.aV Oil' 'afi- r jount' their excellence, in qtialit}-; style of ( ges-lip and ' reaSpnablo CostV aii<l '1 caiinot see ..-that' ;,.thoV.wcrking. of. the. preferential tariff is., going to',, make; hliy worth, considering, in favour of 'tlio. .Britisher, yvho practically.'.lost..this. market'in]itheSo. goods! years.ago,' simply because he.w - biild iiot march with the times, by improving the, quality and stylo in whicli' he turned out his goods, meeting;competition in the way of prices, He-is.'iiftw waking up, but/1 much regret to think,;'too -late . "A' great number of drugs and chemicals used iniEilgland, and exported te the Dominion ; by ; English houses, are' of. Cofitinentalinahiifactiire, althpiigh jllthlbers f 'of : traders hero belieVe theni to ,be Bfitisli,' becaiise'tliey' come' out bearing the liousclabpl of a British' firm. The' preferential' duty Jwill riot keep/those,,out,,:as. it- gives insufficient margin . to; .enable,-tho: Britisher," to, compete,: ill such.. linos.,'';tTheii, t - again, -/nuiiierons, drugs; arid;chemicals,•-•whichiare only pbtainablb'qn the Continent and;ifi;America,.euter; into the. practico of almost every, medical man, and the same remarks;apply to .several valuable proprietary medicines., • '}. wu , ,Vill;.'gath^' remarks that, as far as the drntradd'id';CoiicGrnGd, I believe, that the, tariff-' Will not'i'achievo the 6bject: which tlie i Govorhment had ill view, but will proVfii a tevehUe'prpdtioing oiieivand 0011"sequontly- the-public will suffer. '' I havb Cbme to this; canelusioiS after, carefully lookihg intp ' the matter, and have'not discussed the question rnth'any of my fellow drug •merehants."; OTHER x COODS. An additional duty' on American-; shot cartridges, tas - from i 2s. - 6d; to :3s. ; 9d. a'loo, : will; affect, sportsmen-,who prefer the American ammunition to other sorts.- -An addition - of-.60-' per Cent. ,(o, the, duty. . .on 'iphohographs, ; gramapliones, and similar iiistrmneiits, ,tho large majority of which come from the United States, will slightly affect tho price of these articles. Magic-'lanterns/; bioscopcs,- .cinematographs, etc.,, are subject to the same': increase. JLlot of 'Amerieaiii French, and German soaps, which j will also bo penalised by .50.per cent., come this countryand American paper bagß, : 'Which: .Constitute .'the .great-;.majority of all, paper liags, will suffer the,same inflie- . tion. goods,'' brush-ware, galvanised'' iron' manufactures, and other goods, whose duty Will .be ihcreuSed 'by. half in eases. of foreign, origin,are, all made locally. On American and German machines and.; steam . 'engines the bid duty of 22 . per cent', on'invoiced yaluo will now bo '33 per: cent.,, and a tremendous quantity; of axle grease : and ; ! .oilj obtained', from America, .will ho' subject to tlie same oi duty. . - i

On a.' long list of other. articles, the duty will., bo" raised one-fifth,'. when they ' arc of foroigri'. origin. Among' them is; oil,' "riot otherwise': .; enumerated, including mineral liibriqatiiig-oil," in vessels Capable of. contain-; ing/oiie gallon' and mbro. . Hundreds of thousands/# gallons .■•! of ■American .oil are imported oy n single company. Nearly all the' ordinary painters' colours come "from America, doubt will still coinefrom there. - In. this case the extra dtity of onefifth /has/been imposed, mainly for the sake of . revenue. Varnish ,'and lacquers, which, are also penalised when, of-foreign manufacture, como chiefly from other countries.; •

Under; another; schedule, a duty of-20. per cent, is imposed oh, many foreign articles formerly free' of. duty.'.'Anions these.-aro. canvas, india-rubber,- and othor hoso, tubing, or .piping, 'and .iron boiler plates and: tubes,, most of ..which can bo obtained from British 'dominions. . , ~ ■,

Other foreign articles .aro penalised in an. extra 10 .pef : cent. i.-Thcy include anchors, «nvil3, forges, etc., V/hich come largely from America, /pcrcussipn cups (from Amcrica), fire - engines an'd firo •; brigade . equipment, cameras, and leases, ; .. dairy machinery, (America), wirc-ne{ti:itj'• (of .-which an enormous quantity comcs from Germany, though it is alsoi obtained from England/and from' Sydney). l and/expanded .Int-liiiijj. fell" lath .and'!plastbr.l'work- in bis btiildings;.-. the majority' o'f ! :'which • comes'' from' tho' : "United Stated, aiid" iv_lesg quantity', from /England.' Printing/machines,;. type;. And'.other niah" rials, 'milling- imfieliinerv/'and 'JbeltiiigV] which' is -chiefly• English• nonv nlhof coif!'-.within this schedule?''G'Srtrtin-"eltiss&fr of' eliijilfdn's 'foot-wear,'-tfhieh -"do liot- come ■any quantity, aro also'included.'