TOBACCO DUTIES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 237, 19 September 1934, Page 4

TOBACCO DUTIES

House Passes Clauses __ By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, September 18. Tobacco duties were discussed in the House of Representatives to-night in connection with the Customs Act Amendment Bill, the proposed clause* being agreed to. Mr W. E. Barnard (Napier, Labour) moved an amendment to reduce the duty on cut tobacco from 4/6 to 3/10 a lb., and a second amendment to reduce the duty on other tobacco from 4/4 a M> to 3/8. He contended that the present duties were driving smokers to the tailormade cigarette instead of the pipe or rolling their own cigarettes. Mr K. J. Holyoake (Motueka, Government) said that he bad intended to move a similar amendment. He said that the reduction had to lie eightpence to enable the reduction of a penny to be made by the retailer on a two-ounce tin. The Minister of Customs, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, said that the manufacturer did not require the proteotion provided by the amendment; the manufacturer might or might not pass it ou. He said that the Government would have to stand by the proposed duties and he appealed to members to support him. Mr Barnard said that he had authority for saying that the reduction would be passed on to the consumer. The first amendment was lost by 35 to 29 votes, the second amendment being lost on the voices. The other clauses relating to tobacco and tkr remaining clauses of the bill were agreed to without discussion.