CUSTOMS TAXATION

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 257, 14 July 1926, Page 10

CUSTOMS TAXATION

CHARGES REPLIED TO OPERATION OF THE TARIFF Some illuminating information concerning Customs taxation were produced in the House last night by the Post-master-General (Hon. W. Nosworthy) in the course of his reply to the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. H. E. Holland) on the Financial Debate. Mr. Nosworthy said that Mr. Holland had not discussed very seriously the question of the Customs taxation, but some of his party had charged the Government with heavily increasing the taxation on the people through the Customs tariff. The Customs duties last year, said the Minister, exceeded by £584,000 the amount he (the Minister) estimated would be received, but that excess revenue had been due to the high importations. A greater volume of imports mean an increased amount of duty, and there had- been no increase in the Customs tariff rates. The ne-.. tariff increased the duties on tea, spirits, tobacco, and motor vehicles, all of which might be classed as luxuries. On the other hand, reductions were made in the tariff on foodstuffs, and on certain classes of apparel and machinery. The reduction in the tea duty alone was estimated to be worth £112,000 per annum. There was, in fact, no duty on food excepting what was required to protect the secondary industries. The tariff had also been arranged with a view to giving protection to certain goods that could be produced within the Empire. Regarding Mr. Holland’s charge that the secondary in-dustries—timber-milling and boots, for example—were in a languishing position, the Minister stated that the Labour Party had hedged on the point on a previous occasion when asked how they would deal with the question, their reply being that the only thing to do would be to nationalise industry. With the Leader the Opposition it was nationalisation all the time. Fie would like to know what Mr. Holland meant by his references to the tariff, and where he really stood on the subject, whether he was a freetrader or a protectionist, or in fact anything at all. The high Customs taxation was only imposed on articles of luxury, but there were other items . Mr. Holland: Is tobacco a luxury? The Minister: “I should say so.” Continuing, Mr. Nosworthy dealt with the particulars of the amount received by way of Customs taxation and of the revenue derived by the protection of local industry, and affirmed that the bulk of the Customs revenue was not derived from taxation on articles used by the working man. A member: What about the motor vehicles?. The Minister: I do not know that it would not be a better thing for this country if five or six years ago all motor vehicles had been chucked out of it, or stopped from coming into it. I often wonder if it is a wise thing to have so many coming in. TOURIST RESORT'S Tourist resorts and their development alwavs provide topics for debate in Parliament, and members were not backward in expressing their vfows yesterday when the annual report of the department concerned was presented. The discussion occupied a great part of the afternoon, and traversed much familiar ground. The report was talked out by the arrival of the dinner adjournment. SEAMEN’S VOTES Dissatisfaction as to the present method of recording seamen’s votes at election time was expressed by two Labour members, Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central) and Mr. J. A. Lee (Auckland East) in the House yesterdav. Mr. Fraser suggested that difficulties would be overcome if properly conducted ballots were taken on board a vessel at sea. The result could reach New Zealand by wireless.