THE NEW TARIFF

Evening Star, Issue 9774, 2 August 1895, Page 2

THE NEW TARIFF

Our Wellington correspondent wires:— “ Indications are not wanting that the Treasurer will have a lively time in piloting his Customs Duties Bill and reciprocal treaties into the haven of smooth water. Already members of the Government and members of the House are being deluged with complaints regarding alleged hardships which the new duties impose. Those en; gagel in the saw-milling and fishing industries in Auckland have lodged protests against the Canadian treaty, and these have been brought under the Hon. Mr Watd j s notice. A deputation representing the jewellery trade has privately interviewed the Treasurer in the hope of causing him to modify his opinions, and while 1 am penning these lines Mr Crowtber has brought under my notice a complaint by an Auckland shirtmaker that if the tariff is carried he will be forced to close bis factory, thus throwing eighty hands out of employment. The opinion is fully entertained that if the duty on shirtings is imposed all the shirt factories in the colony will have to shut up, for they will not be able to compete with the imported made-up article. Surprise is expressed at the so-called Liberal Government taxing flannelettes and cheap imported woollen goods, which are so largely used by the poorer classes, and commercial people laugh at the idea of the small reductions in tea and keroscnse benefiting consumers, saying that these reductions will simply swell the profits of the merchants.” The Dunedin Assembly of the Knights of Labor at their usual meeting, held last evening, adopted a resolution recording an emphatic protest against the greatly increased taxation of the people by means of the new tariff; stating that such taxation will bear very heavily on the industrial and working classes, and under the present depressed state of the colony is extremely illadvised.

AUCKLAND, August 1

It is stated that the shirtmaking industry will be crippled by the new tariff. One firm employing 125 women, contemplate cancelling orders for raw materials and having shirtings made in England. Manufacturers of essences, tinctures, and perfumery state that the abolition of the exemption of spirits used in manufacturing will kill some industries altogether. It is asserted that fishcanning factories, the timber industry, and fruit-growing will also be grievously injured by the Canadian and South Australian commercial treaties. . The boot trade protest against the increased duty on leather which cannot be made here. It will involve the introduction of labor-saving machinery and increase the average cost of boots 2s to 2s fid per pair,

CHRISTCHURCH, August 1

The Chamber of Commerce arc sending the following telegram to the Treasurer “In cases where duties are reduced or abolished the Committee of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce would earnestly recommend the justice of postponing bringing into operation of the proposals until January 1 next. A similar course has been followed previously both in this and other colonies. The Committee is further of opinion that considerable hardship will be entailed upon Canterbury importers by the disadvantage they are placed under as against Wellington and Dunedin merchants, who had cleared goods ex Tainni and Maori upon which duties have since been increased, these vessels having arrived in the respective ports mentioned before the announcement of the new Customs tari£ The Committee would accordingly ask the Goveniment to adopt some equitable mode by which all New Zealand importers by these vessels may be placed on an equal footing.”

[From Our Parliamentary Reporter.]

WELLINGTON, August 2.

A deputation of jewellers yesterday told Mr Ward that jewellery already paid 224 per cent, duty, which was as much as it could carry. The duty ptoposed •to bp placed on precious stones would stop their importation to the colony in a legitimate way, and would lead to their being smuggled in. Victoria had taxed them, but the duty had been repealed and New Zealand would b<* in the anomalous position ot being the only colony ot Australasia which would be levying a tax on precious stones. Mr Ward prombed to favorably consider both requests, but intimated that great pressure had been brought to bear on the Government to place the duty proposed W the two articles mentioned.