EXPORT DUTY ON GUM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9056, 17 May 1888, Page 5

EXPORT DUTY ON GUM.

MR. GOLDIE'S PROPOSAL. THE OPINIONS OF THE TRADE. The proposal made in the House of Representatives by Mr. Goldie, member for Auckland West, to place an export duty on unsorted gum shipped from Auckland as a protection to gum sorters, has been before the public for some time, and has formed the subject of very considerable discussion. In order to ascertain the views of those most deeply interested a Herald reporter yesterday interviewed some of the principal gum merchants on the subject. MR. BARBER'S VIEWS. The first merchant waited on was Mr. H. P. Barber, of Fort-street. Our reporter introduced the subject by asking Mr. Barber if he had noticed the action taken by Mr. Goldio with regard to imposing an export duty on gum, and what he thought of it. " Oh, yes," said Mr. Barber, " I noticed it, and 1 think Mr. Goldie is talking on a subject about which he knows nothing , . Why, he may as well talk of placing an export duty on timber, unless it is manufactured into sashes and doors ; or on wool, unless it is washed, as to talk of imposing a duty on unsorted gum. The quantity of gum shipped is very small. Taking last year as an average, tho annual shipment of gum is 6971—say 7000 tons—and of this not more than 400 tons is shipped unsorted, and this only to special order. Tho shipment of unsorted gum, in small quantities, has been going on for years, although I have sent none tor the last two years; and then this unsorted gum is only sent to special order from varnish makers, and not to tho trade. Some varnish makers make a specialty of advertising that they sort their own gum, and it is to these that these small parcels of unsorted gum are sent." " But it is complained that the shipment of unsorted gum throws tho gum-sorters out of employment, and that a great many are now out of work?" " That is not the reason. The quantity of unsorted gum shipped makes very little difference, but the fact is that there is an increased supply of gum while there is no increased demand ; and there are no ships in for gum, nor any orders. Now take, for instance, the increased supply. For the first four months of this year the supply has been 3000 tons, as against '.?000 tons for the same period hist year. This represents an increase of 3000 tons above last year. This increased supply, of course, has a tendency on a limited market to check orders, and many orders have in fact been cancelled. Taking a comparison of shipments this yesr as compared with last, the exports to date for the present year are 31 SI tons, as compared with '2016 tons for the same time last year." "I suppose this naturally has a tendency to depress the market and lower prices ?" "Why, it must be so. The market is limited, and the supply is increasing. " What is the comparison in tho cost of labour between slvipping unsorted and sorted gum V" " For unsorted gum we charge £1 per ton for labour. For sorted gum the charge is from 35s to 45s to —say, an average of 40s per ton—so that you must see that the amount lost to the labour market by the j small quantity of unsorted gum shipped as compared with the assorted crum is trifling. The real reason why the gum-sorters are out of employment is that the market is glutted, and the merchants have no orders." MR. W. 11. LVON'S OPINION. Mr. W. H. Lyon, of Custom-street, having been waited on, said in regard to shipping unsorted gum that the trade had to be met, and all sorts of customers pleased. If unsorted gum was ordered it had to be sent. Tho quantity of unsorted gum shipped was very inconsiderable ; and the labour connected with the shipment of unsorted gum would be covered by £1 the ton, and if sorted it would be about 50s, but the quantity of unsorted gum shipped was very inconsiderable, and made little difference to the labour market. The great bulk of the gum now shipped was now sorted much more elaborately than it was some years ago. There was a big increase also in the quantity offering during the last six months especially, and the demand being limited, the price was lowered without any corresponding increase in the consumption. Prices naturally fell, but the cause of complaint regarding the shipment of unsorted gum is microscopical, and I do not believe it originated with the gum-sorters themselves, for there is more labour now attached to the sorting of gum, owing to the elaborate manner in which the work is done than ever there was before—at all events during the twenty years that I have been in the trade. CAPTAIN WEBB'S STATEMENT. Our reporter then waited on Ciptain Webb, manager for Arnold, Cheney, and Co., to ascertain his views on the subject. They were similar to thoae expressed by Mr. Barber and Mr. Lyon, and he used the same language in expressing his opinion of the absurdity of levying an export duty on unsorted gum, asking why the same should not apply to wool, timber, or other exports. ANOTHER MERCHANT'S VIEWS. Another merchant on whom our reporter waited, expressed very strong views on tho absurdity of the action taken by Mr. Goldie. He compared his action with the very sensible course taken by Mr. Hobbs in advocating that the Puhipuhi and other State forests should be open to the gumdiggers during the winter months, when there was no danger of fires occurring. As to the Puhipuhi forest, gumdiggers had been there for 17 years, and no fire occurred till the Government appointed rangers, and then they were caused by those who endeavoured to get the gum surreptitiously.