RECEPTION IN HOUSE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20641, 13 August 1930, Page 13

RECEPTION IN HOUSE.

OPPOSITION EXPRESSED.

QUESTION OF -TIMBER DUTIES

INCREASE NOT . SUPPORTED. [B* - XEIjEGIiAPH!— -SPECIAL REPORTER.] •. : ■ : ' WELLINGTON, ' Tuesday.. "It- is expected that on tiie whole .there will be a slight increase in duties under the amended proposals," said the Prime ! Minister, the Hon. G. W. Forbes, when asked in the House this evening the effect of the revised customs duties compared with those proposed in the resolutions of July 22. In answering another question, Mr. Forbes said the change in the whisky tariff was estimated to make a difference of £IO,OOO. The further increases on imported timber drew 'much adverse comment. ■ Mr. D. Jones (Reform—Mid-Canter-bury) .said he detested, being, placed in the position into, which the Government was putting Die House. What evidence was there to support a further increase 1 Had a conference of millers been called since July' 22 to consider the question'! The Government .in one .instance proposed to increase the duty from. 7s 6d per 100 superficial feet to 19s. That was an extraordinary increase to propose without producing a tittle of evidence. The builder had to be protected and lie proposed when'the time came to move that the duty of £1 a ton on British cement be removed.

State of Local Industry. Mr. W. J. Poison (Independent—Stratford) thought it extraordinary that New Zealand timber should require such a large increase as was proposed, particularly in the case of dressed timber. The £\ T ew Zealand industry must be in a bad way indeed to need such. protection. Mr. J. O'Brien (Labour—Westland) : Th'ere are 5000 men out of work. ' Mr. Poison drew attention to the position which would be created between Canada and New Zealand. ."Canada,put an increased duty of 20 per cent, on our butter and wo are retaliating with an increased duty of from 100 to 200 per cent, on her timber," he said. "What is the use of building up tariff walls against us ? If tbis is meant as retaliation, I am sorry, for it is not going to improve our position when the emissary from-New Zealand shortly goes to Canada to try to make a "satisfactory trade agreement," Evidence of Exploitation. .

The Prime Minister said if there was evidence of exploitation .through the new duties, power;would be given to the Minister to l remove the protection.' ■ ■ • ' Mr. R. . Semple (Labour—Wellington East),: How is the Minister to get his information? .. Mr.' Forbes said there need be no feats about that. •' The timber duties had formed the • subject of representations from those in the.industry and .from members ,of the House interested in the question. The Hon. W. Downie Stewart (Reform —Dunedin West): Did you have any 'deputations from.the consumers? Mr. Forbes said the Government had been 'told one way'to assist in the'relief of, unemployment avas to keep up- the local .industry. The alterations had' been made as a result of- representations from those affected by' the duties. If any point had been overlooked in the original framing of the tariff, the Government was always pleased to hear representations and act on "them if they were deemed to be reasonable. That'was what had happened in the present instance. Mr. A. Harris (Reform —Waitemata) said that with the surtax of s'per'.cent., the timber duty would be over 20s. He could not too strongly express his resentment of the .Government's tariff, proposals. . Mr. M. J. Savage (Labour —Auckland West) submitted that New Zealand was engaged in insufficient negotiations with other countries in regard to tariffs.' This applied at present to .Canada.He 1 considered the bill . was justified in so; far as it' afforded protection for local industries, but no further. The petrol tax was not equitable, in that it failed to embody, the principles of ability to pay. ' • ■ (Left Sitting). v, ■ ..' ;

DEFENCE AMENDMENTS.

NOTICE OF BILL GIVEN. [BY' TELEGRAPH.t-SPECIAL RKrORTER.] ; ' Tuesday, j ■ Notice of his intention to introduce the Defence Amendment. Bill was given in the-House to-day by the "Minister of Defence, the Hon. J.'G. Cobbe/