TARIFF ANOMALIES. NEW ZEALANDERS PENALISED. TO THE EDITOR.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 28, 1 August 1907, Page 4

TARIFF ANOMALIES. NEW ZEALANDERS PENALISED. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,— While the new tariff is meeting an adverse reception by various bodies and is engaging the attention of the press, I ■would Eke to place the case of cinematograph apparatus beforo the public. Hitherto tUeee popular features of the showman's' business have been admitted into New Zealand duty free, and as there are no makers of cinematograph machines and lanterns in the Dominion, it does not appear that the duty imposed is for the protection of any industry. ' It, certainly c»nnot be logically regarded as a revenue tariff, owing to the limited demand for thtf fnaeMnk *nd film. The cinematograph is not only an amusing toy, but is a source of' education in more ways than one ; ' it enables, people who cannot afford the luxury of traveV to gain » botCer insight into' the daily life of foreign countries than can be übtaiued -from cooks »lono. Whilst it has been used time and again as a. means of demonstrating surgical operations of a rare nature and in revealing faults in bhs working of madhincry, a* an educator it is most valuable. Take the cwa.of the Bre*dnouEht «eri«, now being exhibited; people arc enabled to better comprehend what these leviathan warships *re 'like. " Whtero tho naw^riff is disfcinctly'unfair to local people is in the fact that tho travelling showman, whilst paying duty ort hisHfiims on entering New Zealand, has it -returned on leaving ; thus he gains consider ably' over his rival who resides here and provides permanent employment for numbers of people. < Of course, tbo Minister must see- thai trie duty can be ovaded by simply hiring films from ' Australia or America, and claiming refund on return^ ing them, but this practice will have ono, great disadvantage from tho public point of view— it will mean that only secondhand films will be Used by the majority of permanent New Zealand showmen. The Fuller Proprietary havo always been enei> gatic, and Lava endeavoured to give the public the 'best 'available productions "of this class* 4.nd- it will come hard on the firm if they have to ba heavily taxed whilst visiting competitors, who spend the emallest- possible amount of money in the colony, gain* ft distinct advantage without paVing a ponny; * If protection of local industries is the Minister's reason for imposing tho duty, it is plain that bo- han failed in his mission, an tho effect of the tariff will bo to penalise thfi resident and grant a premium to itho visiting pxhibitor of moving picturl^i rTnjSßfcr TnjSBfc be remembered that tho goodwill of a picture is- considerable, and in importing now items at a cost of Is per foot, as against 4d per foot for stock items, it will be seen that tho permanent Now Zealand showman is subjected to a heavy duty for his enterprise. If tho Minister -decides to maintain the duty, then I contend that, in fairness to resident caterori,' tho travelling showman thould have his films taxed, and should only have- the portion of .tax ceturned on flhnr tfrat'have-'not been exhibited during his stay in the country.— l am, etc., BEN FULLER. Wellington, 30th July.