LONG SITTING

Northern Advocate, 2 December 1921, Page 5

LONG SITTING

ON TARIFF DETAILS.

NUMEROUS AMENDMENTS

HOUSE REJECTS ALL.

(Special to "Northern Advocate.") WELLINGTON, This Day. The House of Representatives began the discussion of details of 'the new tariff last evening. 'Some of the eariy items were keenly debated. The first difference of opinions arose on the proposed duty of 2s per cental on wheat. The old duty was 9d per cental, and Ministers explained that 'fixe increase was suggested in order that farmers anight be encouraged to make New Zealand independent of imported wheat. The Hon. W. Nosworthy, Minister of Agriculture, stated that the price of bread would be reduced when the new . season's wheat became available. ■Some Opposition and Labour mem. bers argued that 'the effect of the duty would be to prevent the consumers gettiiig cheap wheat and bread*. Tihe/ '.item v/as eventually passed unaltered. | The first division took place <on an j amendment, proposed by 'the Leader of the Labour Party, (that cocoa, which carries a preferential duty of 3d per' pound, should be placed on the free list. This amendment was rejected 'by 38 votes 'to 27, the House dividing on party lines. Raw coffee is on the free list. Mr H. , f Atir-.orc (Nelson) proposed to remove the 'duty of 3d per pound from roasted coffee, and was defeated iby 47. votes to IS. The Leader of the Opposition proposed that tea should be placed on the free list. The Prime Minister stated that the tea duty had been imposed during the war, vhen the Government needed money. The need was eVen greater to-day. The tea duty produced £120,000 a year, and if it was lost the 'Government would have to find the money in some other directions. The •duty was only 3d per pound preferential, as against lOd per pound in Britain.

After a lengthy debate the amendment was rejected by 37 to 28.

A Labour amendment proposing that "potted and preserved fish should be placed- on the free list -was rejected .soon after midnight, and a similar fate overtook the efforts of the Labour members to have the duties removed from infants' foods and malt extract.

The House adjourned at 1 'a.m. after covering only three of the 45 pages confining the schedules of tihe tariff.