CUSTOMS DUTIES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 6 August 1931, Page 12

CUSTOMS DUTIES

AN UNWISE ANNOUNCEMENT Mr John Myers stated at the meeting of the Council of tho Wellington Chamber of Commerce (reports the "Post”) that tho Government had adopted a most unusual procedure in the imposition of certain additional Customs duties. It had been announced that tho duties would remain in force for a definite period. Such a course would create a bail precedent, and would retard business. It meant that business people would not know where they were. Notice should be 'given —say six months’ notice—of when it was likely the duties would he taken off. He referred to the i primage duty, which had been imposed 'as a war measure in 1915, and it had since been found necessary to increase it, to which no objection had been taken. Eighteen months, in his opinion, was too long a period to fix. 'Merchants should be given more consideration.

Mr Stronacli Paterson agreed with what Mr,Myers had said. This was the first time anything of the kind had been done. Throughout the world it was the custom to make tariff alterations without notice, and to withdraw them Without notice. The system of advertising that a duty will be put on for say fifteen or eighteen months was simply an invitation to the public to be chary about buying, and if made traders dubious about importing. Ho very much doubted whether the Government would consent to give notice of tho withdrawal of duties. No doubt by this time tho Government had realised its mistake in giving notice of the period for which the duties would run. While he' approved of what had been said, lie doubted whether any good would result. Mr Myers moved : "That the Council of the Chamber of Commerce does not approve of a stated period being fijjod for duties to remain m force.” The motion was agreed to.