NEW ZEALAND'S TARIFF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19918, 11 April 1928, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND'S TARIFF.

ADVANTAGE TO BRITAIN. LARGE EFFECT ON TRADE. Last year's revision of the New Zealand customs tariff was mentioned by Mr. Douglas Hacking, secretary of the Department of Overseas Trade, in an address at a luncheon-meeting, given by the Incorporated Sales Managers'. Association at the British Industries-Fair in London. Mr. Hacking said it was a revision which had given a most practical expression of Empiro partnership. New Zealand, in her new tariff, had substantially increased the margin of preference on over 200 items of British manufacture. Translated into terms of the annual export trade of Britain, and as far as one could estimate, it meant that Britain should now sell to New Zealand two million pounds' worth more per annum than she would have done under the old tariff, and in two or three years her exports should increase by £4,000,000 to £5,000,000 annually. As a Lancashire man he would like his county to take advantage of the new position in New Zealand. As from July i all pieco goods of cotton, linen, jute, hemp, silk, artificial silk, and combinations of those materials, including table cloths, napkins, towels, quilts, sheets, etc., would enter New Zealand free of duty, and the margin of preference had been increased to 15 per cent. GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS. TENDERS INVITED IN BRITAIN.

Announcements were recently published in the British press by the High Commissioner for New Zealand, Sir Jamas Parr, of invitations for tenders for various Government contracts. They include a contract for the manufacture, supply and erection of a pipeline approximately 2464 ft. long in connection with the Lake Coleridge power station. The pipes range from 60in. to 84in. in diameter. Tenders for this work are receivable in New Zealand up to May 29. Another requirement is a' 7500kw. generator and turbine for the Public Works Department. In connection with the new railway workshops which are in course of erection, and for which much material has already been purchased in Britain, tenders are now being called for the following:—Thirteen electric rivet heaters, four ventilating and heating units, four battery shunting locomotives and charging sets, four plane milling machines, two sand cutting machines, four automatic electric melting sets* four- circular saw benches, three oil-fired spring furnaces, seven arc welding sets, two paint spraying machines, and four universal type spot welding machines. EMPIRE TOBACCO INDUSTRY. BENEFITS OF PREFERENCE. [from our own correspondent.] LONDON. March 2. People are beginning to learn that •if thev buy tobacco leaf from Empire sources ,they , are keeping their own people employed and making new openlilt's for settlers, and they are also sending less riioney to foreign countries, principally to the United States. Empire" leaf only begins to enter into calculation in 1910, and though, between that year and 1913, the increase of tobacco imports from Empire sources had commenced, in 1919 it had only reached 1 per cent,, of the total consumed. It was not .until the operation of lmpei ial preference, beginning in the next year, that the 3npply from within the Empire began to assume considerable proportions. The Empire percentage rose steadily to 13.10 per cent, in 1926, and reached over 14.71 pe'r cent, in 1927. It was interesting to note, said Mr. C. Ponsonby, chairman of the Empire Tobacco Committee, in a lecture, that while tho total imports from the Empire was li million lb:, in the whole year 1919, in the one month, November, 1927, it was bver 2\ million lb. . But it was more interesting to find that while the total consumption of Empire and foreign leaf increased one million pounds between 1919 and 1927, the amount of non-Empire leaf displaced by Empire leaf in the latter year amounted to 18 million lb. MARKET REPORTS* FRUIT AND PRODUCE PRICES. Tomatoes were again in largo supply at the sales at. the Auckland City Markets yesterday.' At the two preceding sales tomatoes glutted tho market, and yesterday the same condition prevailed. The prices for all varieties remained the same as at last sale, but only the very best qualities met with any special inquiry. Apples were again quiet, the demand being only fair. The prices of pears wore on a par with those prevailing at the last sales, two new varieties, Beurre Boso and Nellis appearing on tho market. A small shipment of Australian grapes, which sold at 12s to 15s 6d, had no effect on values, the price of Colemans firming slightly, Bananas, which had advanced m value last week, fell 7s, supplies being short. A small shipment of Sydney oranges sold at prices ranging from 12s to 16s. Values for potatoes, which have been gradually falling, have now reached a foundation prico of 7s to 8s 6d per cwt. for southerns and 4s and 5s 6d for locals. Iriirgo supplies of pumpkins brought slightly reduced rates. Green peas came to hand m small supplies, selling at a flat rate of 6d per lb. Most other varieties of vegetables were to hand in fair quantities, and sold to a good demiuid, prices being on a par with last sales. Owing to poor demand, eggs fell a further Id a dozen in price. Since the appearance of Canadian eggs on the market the price has fallen 7d.., Moderate supplies of farmers' butter were well received at prices prevailing last week. The following prices "were realised:— FRIJJT. Apples, Cox's Orange, 7s to 10s a case; Delicious, 3s to 7s; Jonathans 3s to Gs Gd- Ballarats, 5b to 6s 6d; cookers, ..is. to -Is fid. Pears, Louise Bon, 8s to 10s-; Beurre Diel 5s to fis: Beurre Boso, 5s to Gs lid; Coles and Nellis. Ss to 10s. Tomatoes, choice local, 3s to 3s fid: Hutt, Is 6d to Gd: others from la. . Lemons, local. Ids to 20s. Grapes, Coleman No. 1. Is 9d to '2s ■ld per lb.. No. 2. Is to Is 3d; Te Kauwhatn, 14s to 15b (id; Sydney grapes, 12s t,o 15s lid. Cape gooseberries, 8d per Id. Passions, Rs to Gfl a box. Bananas, repacked, 20s to 23?. Sydney oranges. 12s to 16s. FIELD PRODUCE. '. Potatoes, southern, 7s to 8s fid per cwt. j local, 4k to 5s 6d: onions. 0s to 10s; Itumaraa. ltd to 13d per lb.; cabbage, t.o 15s a sack; califlower, 5s to 12s; swedes, 2s 6d to 3s fid a bapr, pumpkins, 4s to 9s fid per cwt.: oft benohcn, fid to Is fld each: tfreen peas, fid per lb.; bean 3, 4s to 7a fid a bag; lettuce. 2s to ss; cucumbers, Is fid to 4s fid a dozen; vegetable marrows. Is fid to 4s a dozen: water melons, fid to 2s fid each; rock melons, 3d to Is; celery, Is to 3s fid ft bundle; rhubarb. 2s to 3s a dozen bundles; spinach. Od to Is a dozen bundles*, spring onions, 3d to 8d a bundle: citron melons. 4s to 4s fid per cwt,; carrots, parsnips, beet and turnips. Is to 2s a dozen. I DAIRY PRODUCE. Fen egf*B, 2a 3d to 2s 4d a dozen; duck ejrfts, 2s to 2a Jd; farmers' butter. Is to Is 2d per lb.

CHICAGO WHEAT MARKET. A. and N.Z. CHICAGO, April 0. Wheat.—May, 1. dollar 43 7-8 cents per bushel; July, 1 dollar 42 7-8 cents; Sep. tember, 1 dollar 40 7-8 cents.