CLEARING BOND-STORES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17894, 23 September 1921, Page 4

CLEARING BOND-STORES.

IMMINENCE OF NEW TARIFF.

EISKS OF HIGHER DUTIES.

LIQUORS, TOBACCO, AND DRAPERY. Unusually heavy clearances of several lines of imports from the Auckland bonds have taken place during the past week, in view of the opening of Parliament and the pending revision of the tariff. The goods that have been taken in the largest quantities are spirits, wines, beer and tobacco. There also have been substantial clearances of drapery and other merchandise, in anticipation of increases in duty.

DRAPERS' POINT OF VIEW.

EFFECT ON PRICE LEVEL.

The tariff question and the cost of living was referred to by Mr. J. R. Rendeil, the retiring president of the Auckland Drapers and Clothiers' Association at /he annual meeting of that body yesterday. Every member of Parliament, he sail, should read the Heraijj's excellent leading article on economy and the tariff. He stated that their trade had not been lax in the matter of the recent departmental inquiry regarding the tariff. As a Dominion federation, and also as separate organisations in the four chief centres, their views bad been placed before *he Tariff Committee.

" Revenue by way of the customs tariff," he said, " is favoured by a certain type of politician because it taxes the public without them directly knowing it; but if the lower price level we are now on, and to attain which the trade has suffered so much loss, has to be raised again by a higher tariff, it will be our unpleasant duty to see that the public are made well aware of who are to blame for it."

EECOBD DUTY IN WELLINGTON. SPIRITS AND TOBACCO. [BY IKLKOBAPH. —FRES3 ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Thursday. There was a rush by merchants to-day to clear goods from bond, a record in duty for the Dominion being paid, amounting to £37,175, mostly on spirits and tobacco.