BUTTER BOXES

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 143, 21 June 1927, Page 10

BUTTER BOXES

EFFECT OF IMPORTS

TO PROTECT LOCAL TRADE

EXTRA DUTY SOUGHT

A request Unit the Government should readjust tin: tariff on imported butter-boxes and fruit baskets so as to give the locally-made article a better chance to compete with that of foreign manufacture! was mndo to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Customs, and tho Minister of Industries and Conimerco to-day by a deputation representing the New Zealand Timber Industry Advancement League.

Tlio secretary of tiro league, Mr. W. A. Turnbull, presented to (he Ministers samples of imported and locally-mad.-fruit baskets, and declared that largely as a result of importations several of the. small towns on the Main Trunk lino had been reduced to about one-half their population through the slackness of business in the timber industry. There was a duty of 35 per cent., lie said, on some of the baskets lie exhibited, but that was not sufficient; to keep them out. He pointed out that the New Zealand-made baskets were made up largely by the inmates of the Jubilee Institute for the Blind at Auckland. Inferring to the importation of foreign butter boxes and chceso crates, Mr. Turnbull stressed the present difficulties of the dairy producers, and said the Ministers would admit that they should be assisted. Instead of boxes and crates coming in duty free, he submitted that they should be charged on tho same basis as other imported manufactured goods. It was not in the best interests of the primary producer to import Swedish butter boxes and cheese crates.

Mr. A. Cooper, a butter box manufaeturerc, said he feared serious trouble as a result of importations of boxes and crates. Complaints had been received from Home that New Zealand butter was being opened up in a tainted condition, air 1, the league contended that that was due to the butter being packed in -s foreign containers. New Zealand white pine was the finest timber in the world for the purpose. It was significant that the Danes refused to use Swedish spruce for the packing of their own produce. "I have yet to learn," he said, pointing to resinous knots, in a sample of Swedish timber, "that turpentine and butter will blend."

The Minister of Industries and Commerce (the Hon. A. D. M'Leod): "Your best plan is to educate the farmer instead of the Government."—"The farmers know their own business." Mr. Cooper said they had convinced the farmers of the economic advantage' of using New Zealand boxes. The cost of the New Zealand box worked out at only one three-hundredth of a penny per pound of butter-fat more than the Swedish box.

Mr. M'Leod: "We would like to know how these imported 'boxes are coming in."

Mr. Turnbull: "There is dumping taking place in New; Zealand, and it is equally hard to prove it.'' Mr. Cooper said that if the Government still desired to assist the farmer, it should do something to transfer the butter box trade with foreign countries to New Zealand by means of a freight concession.

The Prime Minister (the Eight Hon. J. G. Coates) said he admitted that the timber industry, in common with business generally, was going through a difficult period. The conrse taken: by. ths Government in giving protection to the industry last session, and the subsequent endeavours that had been made to standardise building requirements, ■were moves in the right direction.

Mr. M'Leod said ho had been sympathetic all through in trying to assist the millers. The deputation had to convince the farmer that he was not doing the right thing by using the imported boxes. Was it* to be expected that if the butter opened ur> tainted in England, they would stiir.continife to use the imported article? The grading reports were all against the reports of taint.

_ Mr. Coates: "I have not had one tittle of evidence to back up what you say; that is, only in respect to Government graders in Great Britain."

Mr. M'Leod said that this year butter had opened up all over the world in tainted condition, but there was no evidence that that was due to the timber of the boxes. If the co-operative concerns asked for foreign boxes to be shut out, the Government would be only too glad to meet them.

The Prime Minister said that the deputation could leave the matter safely in the hands of the Government, which was interested to see that the timber industry, and the primary industries also, wore not prejudiced by importations. "We are all for helping local industry along," he. declared.