TARIFF COMMISSION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 30 September 1933, Page 8

TARIFF COMMISSION

VARIOUS REQUESTS

(By Tel jgraph—Press Association)

CHRISTCHURCH, 28th September

Printers ink and printers’ materials, gelatine and glue, barley and cereal stock foods were the subjects oi evidence before the Tariff Commission today. Charles John Morrison, of the firm of Morrison and Morrison, printing ink manufacturers and printers warehousemen, asked tor increased duties in printers* ink and printers roller composition. lie asked for the increase because of the heavy taxes levied in New Zealand, the high coastal freight, and the higher wages ruling here. lie stated also that the company wished to increase its volume oi trade to make possible the lowering of costs. ilis /inn did not manufacture ‘Jig cheaper grades of printers’ ink such as those used in printing newspapers. George Francis Davis, director of Davis Gelatine, 1-td., asked for an increase in the duties on gelatine. '1 he present duties wore British 2d a pound oi 20 per cent., mid foreign 4d a pound or 40 per cent., whichever returned tho greater, lie asked for an increase to British 2d or 25 per cent., and foreign 4d or O 0 per cent. He said that he used New Zealand waste products and could supply the whole New Zealand market. ' lie wished the duty increased (because foreign suppliers occasionally picked the eyes out of his market hv offering low prices to big customers. Air- J. Roberts, union secretary, on behalf of the workers in the garment industry, asked for the maintenance of the present duties on manufactured clothing. lie was apprehensive about competition from clothing made under sweating condition by out-workers in the clothing centres of England. Garments that were out of fashion in England were sold to colonial buyers at any pried they would bring. Mr C. 11. Hewlett and others, on behalf of barley growers, asked that the duties of 2s a cental on barley, 2s on ground maize, and £1 a ton on brail and pollard be reimposed and that tho duty of 2s a cental on unground maize lie retained. Witnesses pointed out that during tho years 1927 to 1929, when no cereal nig feed was imported, the export of pork increased. When the duty was removed in 1930 and eeieal feed entered freely, the export of pork decreased. The importation of Australian barley added a penny a pound to the price of pork, and this, with the halfpenny difference enjoyed by Denmark by way of freight charges, meant that New Zealand pork was penalised lgd compared with Danish. It was contended that the duty was removed to encourage pigraising, but that the removal had not achieved its purpose.