THE AMENDED TARIFF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9927, 17 September 1895, Page 5

THE AMENDED TARIFF.

CONSIDERED BY TRADE BODIES. MORE CONDEMNATION. The amendments in the proposed tariff were much discussed yesterday, and many of the trades interested took action in the direction of obtaining adequate expression to their views. ' These will be found subjoined. THE ISLAND FRUIT TRADE. The feeling against the imposition of a duty on fruit was again very intense yesterday, < and in the afternoon a large and influential meeting was held in Mr. G. Kronfeldt's office/of the principal auctioneers and fruiterers, for the purpose of considering the proposed duty. Mr. R. C. Carr wAs vobea'to' the chair. v The meeting instructed Mr. Carr to send the following telegrams to the Premier Hon. R. J. Seddon, Wellington. At a large and influential . meeting of auctioneers and fruiterers,' of Auckland, held this afternoon, I was instructed to forward the following resolution to you: "That no further increase of duties, in the interests of the general public, ought to be imposed, on any kind of fruit whatever Australian, Tasmanian, or Island." At the meeting it was also resolved thab no importer should 1 clear his fruib ex Tarawera, to arrive that j day, pending reply from the Premier. A message to this effect was also sent by Mr. Carr to the Hon. R. J. Seddon. : Mr. G. Kronfeldt obtained yesterday the following additional names to the petition totbe presented to the Hons. J. ,G. Ward and R. J. Seddon re Island fruit :—Messrs. Justin Walsh and Co., W. S. Laurie and Co|, E. R. Cardno, Younghusband and Co., i W: Sanford, Robert Carr, J. E. Wheeler, G.vW. Owen and Co., W. and G. Winstone, Wilsons and Horton, Geddi* and Blomfield, Wi Phillipps and Son, Hunter and Nolan, Alfred Buckland and Sons, W. J. Hurst and Co;, C. Wood and Co., Kempthorne, Pressor and. Co., Ltd., C. Bagley, T. H. Hall and Co., R. Salmon and Co., Northern S.S. Company, Ltd., R. Messenger, A. Yates and Co., Nelson, Moato, and Co., New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Co. (Limited), Joseph P. Armitage, David Goldie, Malcolm Niccol, Northern Roller Milling Co., Edward Morton, John Burns and Co., James Macfarlane, Carr, Johnston, and Co., G. W. Binney and Sons, Cousins and Atkin, Laxon, Neil, and Co., A. Morton, Arthur Tooman and Co., Thomas B. Arthur, Esam and Arthur, Mennie and Dey, Maoky, Logan, Steen, and Co., F. E. Jackson and Co. Mr. W. J. Napier sent the following telegram to the Premier yesterday afternoon "Hon. R. J. Seddon, Premier, Wellington. The duty on Island fruit will destroy our trade, and deprive the masses of 'the people here of an indispensable article of food. Fruit in this climate absolutely necessary as food for health of peoplo. Hope Government will withdraw proposal."! . THE FRUIT DUTY TO BE DROPPED.

In the course of the early part of the day, however, telegrams were received from the Hon. J. G. Ward, stating that tho proposed duty would not bo proceeded with ; another telegram states that there was no necessity for'anyone to go to Wellington in regard to the matter. THE BOOT TRADE. The proposition to impose a duty upon the cheaper class of boots and shoes led to speedy action being taken in connection with this class of trade. The Auckland manufacturers and operatives, as stated when the details of the first revision of the tariff were published, had made representation to the Tariff Commissioners that no increase of the then duty was desired. However, certain proposals were made to the House, and adopted pro tem. for duties on " raw materials. Wow the proposal has come, and it in said at the instigation of the South, that the lesser priced class of goods shall pay a heavy duty. EFFECT OF THE TARIFF. To ascertain the effect of the tariff in reference to : the boot - and .shoe trade, a Hkeald representative yesterday asked Messrs. Gavin; Gibson, and Co., and Messrs. Dadley and Son, for their views. In response to the request, the firms named gave tho following instances of the absurdities which would occur, and press heavily, especially on the .poorer classes s— Child's boots, shoes 4 to 6, at present sold in New Zealand at Is 9d per pair, they said, would have to be retailed at 4« 6<i per pair under the proposed tariff, as the duty alone would amount to 2s 4d per pair. ' Nurses' slippers, felt soles, at present retailed at Is per pair, would have to bo sold at 3s 9d under the proposed tariff. The present duty on these slippers is about 3d per pair. Under the proposed tariff it would be 2s 3d, this again showing the injustice which would be done to the poorer classes. We, said the firms stated, could instance a woman's shoes invoiced at 3*, which would have to pay 2s lOd duty, whereas a shoe worn by the bettor classes invoiced 5s Id would only have to pay Is 3d. Thus the poor woman would have to pay nearly 100 per cent, duty, whereas the richer classes would only pay 25 per cent. Rubber poods, too, are not made in the colonies, and they never will be, as a. plant required to turn those goods out would turn out in one month enough to supply New Zealand's requirements for several years. To show the gross injustice which this increase will be to the community, with only one exception the whole of the manufacturers of Auckland have signed the petition to the Premier asking that the duty on boots be not increased, they being perfectly satisfied with the 25 per cent, ad valorem, which together with the expenses of importers, means 40 per cent, on tho value of the goods. ! FHOMIT ACriON*. ! Those interested in the boob trade, yesterday sent the following telegram to the Premier :—" We the undersigned boot and shoe importers and manufacturers wish to respectfully point out the injustice of outrageously increasing the duty, especially a 9 our orders havebeen placed on the basis of the Colonial Treasurer's Financial Statement." Here follow signatures as annexed Northern Boot and Shoe Company, Gavin, Gibson, and Co., Dadley and Son, Albert Hughes, Henry Davy, G. Higgins, B. MoKerraa, J. Trenwith, H. Collins, G. Lewis, P. 1 Stephens, Macky, Logan, - and Co., R. White, J. W. Dimmock, Auckland Co-operative Boob and Shoe Company, W. H. Jacobs, T.' Miller, G. Foster, J. C. Sqiith, T. Miller, B. Crocker, W. Jaffrey, Parker, Green, and Co., R. Walton, Smith and Caughoy, R. Z. Garrett, J. B. Finlayson, D. Campbell, R. Hannah and Co., J. Stavens, T. B. Heath, T. Belcher, G. A. (voles, C. Collins, P. Blampid, Johnston Bros., F. Moore, R. Wilkinson, J, McKerras, G. H. Sexton, M. E. Garrett, and about 30 operatives. Mr Hodgson manager of the Northern Boot Company loft yesterday by the s.s. Takapvjna for Wellington in connection with the business of tho tariff, as representing the manufacturers, operatives, and retailers. He will be prepared to give evidence, if necessary, before a committee of the House of Representatives on tariff matters, as affecting boots and shoes and all articles under 5s per pair, home invoice, on which ib is proposed to charge 2s per pair, fixed, and 25 per cent, ad valorem. That is to say that a ' pairj of slippers or shoes, invoiced in Auckland ab 2s per pair, would really mean 4s 8d per pair for I children's boots and shoe?, and women's slippers, exclusive of freight and insurance. When the local importers'profit was put on to'that ib would give an idea of the cost of these goods to the consumers. This dual tariff did nob meet with the Tariff Committee's approval, from the evidence which had been received throughout the colony, but they promised to meet the wishes of all concerned by a tariff of 25 per cent, ad valorem. The evidenoe given by the operatives in Auckland was also to the same effect. Mr. Hodgson is the bearer to Wellington of a number of petitions from manufacturers, operatives, and retailers. It is abated that the bulk of children's goods, ladies evening shoes, etc., cannot be madehereexcept at too high a rate to the consumer as necessitating costly machinery and the importation of export labour from tho mother country. Ib would also moan reducing the quantity of labour for tho local operatives. .. V ; THE OIL TRADE.

The proposal to impose a duty of la 6<l per gallon instead of fid on linseed oil is warmly resented by painters, ooachbuildors, etc., who work up their paints in Auckland. In the case of one local varnish works, the effect, it is said, will be disastrous; The painters and coachbuilders are making arrangements to voice and represent their

I views in Wellington. What would appear to be a very gredb Injustice would be perpe- ' trated should the \presenb revised tariff be agreed to, that is in the case of Government contractors for white lead, etc., who, presumably, Will have to pay the duty on their importations while their contracts will have to run to the end of the year at the old price. AN IMPORTER'S OPINION. ... Mr. Porter, Of Messrs. E. Porter a,l Co., seen by a HerAld representative yesterday and asked his opinion, of the effect of the tariff upon his particular trade, said : Ihe proposed duty on linseed oil will undoubtedly affect many. Ib will not affect us, for the consumer will of Course, hatre to pay. A very large quantity of linseed oil is used, and I very much doubt whether colonial producers can supply anything like the quantity required. . I do not think they cou } ,' certainly not before the farmers have had time to -»row the seed." " And what With regard to your trade generally?" asked ocir representative. " Well, as far as hardware is concerned all round," was the reply, "I do • hot think the duty will be increased bub the uncertainty of the tariff arrangement has upset business all round. For instance, in the tariff we worked up to Jully, we paid £2 a ton on barbod wire and £1 a ton on plain wire ; then it was altered to 10s plain and £1 on barbed; now ib is £1 a ton for both. Really, taking these two things together, there is no reduction." Mr. Porter then went on to point out, in regard to the varnish and oil trade that) the making of varnish was a very costly thing, involving the laying down of costly plant, and furthermore, that both varnish and oil improved by. age, so that it would be a long while before the colony could produce what was wanted. " The duty on binder twine, said he, passing on, "has been_ taken off, and I should nob be at all surprised to see that now imported from America at a less cost than it can be produced here, what with the surplus turn out from the mills and the cheaper material." FEELING IN THE COLONY. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Dunedin, Monday. Fruit dealers have forwarded the following further telegram, re the duty on fruit, to the Colonial Treasurer, respectfully asserting that under existing fruit duties on apples, pears, plums, apricots, etc., local productions have largely increased, imported kinds have decreased to a very great extent and are yearly decreasing, and the increased duties would be prohibitive and nob provide more revenue. The public generally express great dissatisfaction at the proposed increase. Wellington, Monday. A petition is being circulated and largely signed against proposed fruit duties. CnuisTCHURCii, Monday. . Printers and teapacket-makers are petitioning the Government to increase the duty on tea imported in small packets. Ib is pointed out that this work finds employment for a large number of workers in Christchurch, one firm alone turning out over 100,000 tea packets in the month.

CONSTERNATION IN SYDNEY. Press Association.—Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. Sydney, September 16. The imposition of a duty by New Zealand on fruit has caused consternation among local fruit importers. A preliminary meeting was held to-day to consider the matter, and a deputation will probably wait on the Government to-morrow to urge them to use their influence against the immediate levying of the duty. In the course of an interview, leading importers said they considered they had been unfairly treated in not receiving notice of. the new departure. If work, in which the painter displays his knowledge of technique, and manifests true poetic feeling. Amongst those of Mr. A. Sinclair, perhaps the firsb in merit is No. 26, " Evening at the head of Lake W hakatipu," with the last rays of the setting sun resting upon the Storm Peak range. No. 28, "Penman Pool, North Wales," by the same artist, is a work very different from the former one, in which the colours are so delicately treated with a soft, diffused light throughout. The above collection is well worth inspection by all lovers of art, and especially by our young students, in watercolours. The Exhibition will be open throughout the week, from ten a.m. to five p.m. Admission is free.