PREFERENTIAL TARIFF.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 160, 31 March 1908, Page 6

PREFERENTIAL TARIFF.

■ ARRIVAL OF LARG E >.■ SHIPMENTS. ■ ,<. '' BRITISH AND FOREIGN GOODS. ■ ; r tBX' XELEGUApII^—PRESS, 'ASSOCIATIOnI) , : , Auckland, March'3o. The remaining schedules of tho/preferential tariff, Avhich comes i into-'operation ,• on 'Wednesday; are exciting: a good; deal of, in-.-tercst : 'iri' commercial circles; and especially; among' .the 'importers ; of hardware,- fancy goods, groceries, confectionery, and drugs, which are principally affected. 11l order.that no -hardship might be inflicted,. the ;merrchants were" given some eight months'; notico, and in many instances tools advantage of; the opportunity of ; placing large, orders- for sup-' plies in. Europe and , America,so . that they might get' tho goods in under tho old and lower-tariff.'.' Tiie rosult/is that lame ship-: ments have conic to hand during the past two or .three months, "and tho'.market'in' many foreign, lines , has been supplied, for twelve, or- .eighteen'' months. .The - Customs officials in 'consequence havo spent; a very busy time lately. :In ' addition to watching the cargoes being.landed, they have.also had to clear- many consignments which had,been placed in bond. . 111 proof of this;'it may, po -mentioned that the, Customs' duty collected for March up till Saturday amounted to £69,043, as against. £60,870. up till tho: same day of tho same month last year, an increase of £8173, which is all, the more significant when it vis remembered-that 111 March, 1907, £10,000 was collected on sugor,' which is now. admitted free. Though the preferential tariff is aimed at encouraging the .importation of British goods, , it . appears, from inquiries mado by a "Herald" representative, that in many instances this I will not , prove to be the case, as, many of- tho items upon- which tho extra duty is (placed are not and cannot be r ; manufactured :• in England, and, if they are, cannot, bo 6btamed here at tho samo price as the foreign article, notwithstanding the' extra duty." :