COTTON PIECE GOODS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 4 November 1924, Page 5

COTTON PIECE GOODS.

MOVE TO ABOLISH DUTY. AMENDMENT DEFEATED. («* TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, Nov. 3. The House went into committee to-, night on the Customs Amendment Bui (No. 2). Three clauses in the Bill were passed without comment. Mr J. McCombs (Lyttelton) moved a new clause 4, repealing part of clause 5, which would nave the effect of admitting certain British-made cotton piece goods free, the duty being retained on such goods of foreign manufacture. He maintained tiiat this duty was formerly taken oil by the Liberal Administration and was reimposed by the present Government in 1921 with the result that cotton piece goods of British manufacture were now paying higher duty than foreign silks. The Minister opposed this new clause on the ground that this was one of the most complicated parts of the tariff, and the question raised by Mr McCombs had been carefully thought out. The dropping of the present duty would simply create countless anomalies.

The Premier (Mr W. F. Massey) said it would be a dangerous precedent to seek to amend the customs tariff in this way. There would be another revision of the tariff within the next few years, and that would be the proper opportunity to bring down this amendment. To insert this amendment in the Bill removing the tobacco duty would endanger the Bill. Mr W. J. Girling (Wairau) opposed the amendment, as the present duty would protect the towel-making industry which was about to lie started in New' Zealand. The whole position was so full of difficulties that the tariff could not safely be in this way. On a division the amendment was defeated by 34 votes to 30. The Bill was then reported from committee, read a third time and passed. In the Legislative Council the Bill was put through all stages and passed.