PERTINENT POINTS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 25, 29 July 1907, Page 3

PERTINENT POINTS.

WHAT TiiE TARIFF MEANS. 'THE OTfIER SIJDE OF THE ' SUBSTION. Tt would apjesr from what has been published in fb.ft newspapers that the *verage citizen does ' not realise tho full .effects of the changes proposed in connection with th<|» tariff. There has beoa a vast amount o - discussion and criti- . eism in connectioi with motor-cars, bil-Ijard-tabies, and boots; but these are not the points v the tariff proposals -that should &ppe»' to th» public. The removal of the dijiy from * Very large aumbsr of articJes^'jf rood and clothing is Mora important «o the taxpayer than any changes in reg.i;d to motor-cars and billiard-tables, ana '^ may bo of interest 4o explain the propcsals in some detail. ARTICLES JJF FOOD, < The duty is to be^emoved aitogeflier ■fTom the> following Tticles of food : — 'Sugar, currants, raiins, sultanas, almonds, prunes, figs; dates, maizena, corjiflower, treacl« r .gjlden syrup, tar-, taric icid, croam of tirfar," citric .acid, bi-carbonate of soda^ uce flour, barley flour, sugar of milk, Bircelona- nuts and Brazil nuts. The 'following .table 1 «11l illustrate the changes in regard to sone of the more important . items ;—

, : " , COTTON GOODS. uThen the duty is .to be ,r&noved from cotton piece - goods. Thij %cans that the .housewife .will no longer have to f\ay a- ten per cent, duty wh?n she purphaees -Turkey' twills, dress prints, aeninis,, drills, dimities, flannelettes, army grey shirting, moreen, canva* for fancy work,, dungaree., for wording <;ottaa ,'-cord, linings for dressmaking, and liberty • muslins. JNpr.will she have to pay a twenty percent duty in connection with tapestry,, cretonnes, chintz, art crape, serges, velveteens, plushes^ all kinds of dam•asks, moquette, all sateens, Ijnettes, ere- . poos',.- crimps, zephyrs, , ginghams, all cotton prints, piques, vesfciags, marcellas, muslins, dress and millinery nets, window net*, hpllands, curtains, blind hollands, bed and pillow rolled twillings, nainsook, dress '.hollands, pillow linens, linen sheeting, linen .frontings/~ejraih twillings, all linen t&weUing, •nd damask, and table linens in piece. A prominent retailer states that the removal, of the 'twenty per qeat. duty_ will mean a reduction to the p\iblic 'of. froiq. 5s to os in the pound, wjrile the removal of ,the ten per cent. dn|y will make, a difference , of something like four . (hillings, in the pound. In, other words, .good ' that previously cost £1 will "be 'obtainable for 14s or 15s it? the »ne p£se, and 16s to 17s in the other. ' '-' *i OTHER .REDUCTIONS. ' 'Appliances for the assistance and, relief of the sick", such as silk" and rubber bandages, crutches', trussei, and artificial limbs, are to be admitted free. i. •Bee-keepers are to be assisted by the it«& .adnii'esion of the implement* of th'ejr crift, with the exception of the boxes, which/ can be manufactured 'Jo« c*lly. TPhiS^tonceaston covers' bee ( ers,->wax extractors, rubber gloves', quein cage*,.'comb foundations, honey* knives, • honey extractors, and wax presses. T . ■ fire-extinguishers are to eome'ijpfree.' ' ' " , ' Y^P»per>h.iagings,.' which now bear ft " fifteen per cent., are to be atfrinvited freer Tnis will mean a reduc* tion. in price .to the public equal to *- cish discount of about four shillings pef pound. , „ . •. . All v/indow .glass, including plutewindows, has been placed on Ihe -free Ir6t. It is at present subject tb a duEy of two shillings per hundred feet superficial: -Plate glass not ifor windows and plate glass bevelled or pUvered retains the duty. - '"[ -BILLrARD TABLES. ■There, hsis been considerable discussion, regarding the reduction of the duty •on • billiard-lable" furnishings .from 25 per cent, to "20 per. cent. At present billiard-tables are charged 20 per cent., bi»t' the' furnishings, bearing the 25 per cent, duty, have to be classed in all sorts of -strange ways. Billiard balls ■ are classed as fancy goods, brass rods and runners as brass manufactures, cues as 'fancy goods, cue clips as hardware, cue-cases, as wooden ware, cue-tips as j leather manufactures, and pockets as ; furniture. The proposal is to make tha complete- table bear a uniform duty. HOSIERY. • The, desire for uniformity is responsible for" the much criticised change in regard to j hosiery. Hosiery, in the eyes of the Customs Department, includes ajt sorts 'of., woven underwear for both . 6exes. Some of the women's garments are decorated ' with a little lace, insertion, or other decoration, and they had to be classed as "garments" and charged 25 per cent. In order to avoid the conatant' difficulties of such a system, the Government has put all hosiery on the 25 'per dent, basis. RIBBONS AND LACES. The * reduction of the duty on lace ' goods, ribbons, 'crepe, silk, tatin, and velvets from 25 per cent, to 20 per cent is explained in the same .manner. The change involves only a slight conces- ' *ipn, but it facilitates examination, enormously. The 20 per cent, duty is now 1 imposed on all goods of that class, and the necessity for, a detailed examination ©f each consignment is thus avoided. - Sometimes it has been necessary for.tne Customs officers' to. cut off a piece of material and subject it to a chemical tect in order to ascertain whether 'it contained silk. ' Now all piece goods areon the, Uniform 20' per cent, basis. The importer is' relieved of anxiety and vexatious' delays, and the work of the Customs Department i» lightened very considerably by the simplification of the tariff. ' ' I These are details/ however, which the «c politicians will discuss. The outstanding feature of' the new tariff, it is point«pi, out, is the reduction on goods used 'by -etery man, woman, and child in the and that feature, it is claimed, j^eemq i&'gooie danger of being obscuied >ts» smoke of the battle ranging „ .ad the motor-cars and billord-tables.

."Article - - Present duty - per lb. Sugar ... - Currents ... Id ■Raisins " ... lv ., _ - SjulUnas ... Id Almonds , ... 2d Barcelona nnts ... 2d „' Brazil nuts ... 2d -Prunes - ... 2d . Figs ; 2d . Dates ... ... 2d Percentage of valuo 30 30 30 30 ■ 10 . 38 70 • 65 •60 200