TARIFF COMMISSION’S WORK

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 26 September 1933, Page 4

TARIFF COMMISSION’S WORK

EVIDENCE AT CHRISTCHURCH

DUTY ON FOREIGN GOODS

(j>y Telegraph- Press Association*. CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 25. Before the Tariff Commission to-day Mr Norman John Suckling gave evidence on behalf of Robert Malcolm Ltd. respecting cotton goods, buttons elastics, haberdashery, wearing apparel and general drapery. He asked_ that British cotton piece goods remain on the free list. British buttons were free, and he asked for a duty of 50 per cent, on Japanese and Italian buttons.

Mr Suckling -said elastic was duty free, wearing apparel (British) 27)- pei cent., hosiery 275, and cotton and lace-s 20 per cent. He asked that the general tariff on elastics -should be 50 per cent, weaving apparel 55 per cent. On hosiery he asked that the British duty be 20 per cent., with a general duty of 45 per cent. Shoes and laces, he urged, should be free from Britain, with 100 per cent, general tariff. British goods met heavy competition from Japan in all cotton fabrics. For carpets and ruigs witness asked that the present , duties of 25 per cent British and 50 per cent, general be reduced to British 20 per cent, in part and 15 per cent, in part and general 45 to 40. Mr Ernest W. Reed, secretaryj and Mr Francis W. J. Belton, engineer, of the Christchurch Gais Company, spoke of the duties on ammonia,- cue of the bv-products of gas manufacture. The present rates w 7 ere British free, general 4d lb and Australian free. They asked that the rate be British 20 per -cent.. Australian 30 per cent,, and American and Continental y-0 per cent. Mr Belton said the company had for some time considered the manufacturing’of benzol but had not considered it a commercial possibility if benzol had to pay the -same taxation as petrol. Under the present conditions with complete exemption from tax the proposition would be just worth while to the company. Mr George Henry Holford, representing- Imperial Chemical Industries, said sulphate of ammonia was at present duty free- from all sources-. He asked that the new 7 rates be British free and general 15 per cent. _ The duty would not increase the price to the farmer, but w;ould stop sporadic foreign price-cutting! chiefly from Japan.