CUSTOMS TARIFF

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 16, 13 October 1927, Page 10

CUSTOMS TARIFF

PARTLY REVENUE-PRODUCING THE ALTERNATIVE BURDEN ON DIRECT TAXATION The alternative to a Customs tariff which does not contain some revenue-producing items was stated by the Minister o£ Customs in the House yesterday, when protests were made from the Labour benches against the proposed duties on clocks. Mr. M. J. Savage (Auckland West) attacked the Government’s action in making the item revenue-producing, declaring that the increased duty on clocks would hit the working man with a large family. The Leader of the Nationalist Party (Mr. G. W. Forbes) declared that the Government was attempting to popularise daylight saving by putting an additional" five per cent, duty on alarm clocks, which would soon be in demand. “In this tariff,” said the Minister of Customs (Hon. W. D. Stewart), “I have made concessions in revenue totalling hundreds of thousands of pounds on all sorts of household goods. There has never been one word of thanks — only grasping for more.” _ Did the Labour Party want a tariff yielding no revenue at all; and the whole of the burden transferred to direct taxation? That was where the burden would have to go if there were no revenue-produc-

ing items. As long as it was recognised that a reasonable share of revenue must come from customs taxation, and the protection thought fit had been given, there must be some items that produced revenue. Mr. Savage moved an amendment designed to place British-made clocks on the free list. Mr. A. M. Samuel (Ohinemuri) considered the amendment a vote-catching move, and declared that under the tariff proposals affecting clocks the working man would not suffer as much as the. wealthy. The amendment was rejected by 47 votes to 16, and the item was passed. THE POWER TO BARGAIN During the discussion on the Customs tariff last night, the Minister of Customs explained that some of the proposed new duties would enable him to “bargain” with other countries for better treatment of New Zealand products. He instanced tlie successful results that had attended his efforts in that direction in Canada and Australia. The effect had been to get New Zealand goods into the Commonwealth on better terms than Great Britain could obtain in some cases.