HIGHER DUTIES SOUGHT

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 2 November 1933, Page 4

HIGHER DUTIES SOUGHT

CORK BOARD AND SILICA BRICKS EVIDENCE BEFORE COMMISSION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON,' Nov. 1. A duty of 30 per cent, on corkboard coming into New Zealand from a foreign source was sought by Mr. J. H. Drummond on behalf of Newalls Ltd., insulation manufacturers, Lingland, in an application heard before the Tariff Commission to-day. Mr. Drummond said corkboard for cold storage purposes was not manufactured in New Zealand, but was imported in very large quantities. The main sources of supply were England, Spain, Portugal and tiie Lnited states of America. Until September, 1930. his company enjoyed a reasonable proportion of the trade, but in the rolimvtng month Spanish and Portuguese manufacturers, finding themselves with tremendous quantities of material after an unsuccessful effort to corner the world’s corkboard supplies, decided to upset the world market by a drastic cutting of prices The same procedure was being adopted to-day, with the result that the market to English corkboard was practically dead. An objection was placed before the commission bv Mr. H. Lov.en, repre senting the National Federation of Clay. Industries, England, against an application made during the earlier sittings asking for a duty of 20 per cent, on imported silica bricks. It was contended by Mr. Lowen that tho high transport, packing and insurance charges which must be borne by United Kingdom ..silica bricks exported to New Zealand in themselves afforded ample and full protection for the New Zealand industry.