MERCHANT'S VIEW.

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

MERCHANT'S VIEW.

ONE DUTY OBJECTED TO.

IMPORTS OF LONG LENGTHS.

EFFECT ON BUILDING COSTS. «' "The Government: has-not been wise in raising the rate on large sizes and long lengths," said a leading Auckland timber merchant, when asked his opinion of the new timber duties last evening. "Otherwise I cannot see much to object to." • ♦ The merchant wont on to say that the importation of Oregon pine in long lengths could not be avoided, because New Zealand timber of the same dimensions was not to be had. Apart from thatj importers had every reason for wishing to use local labour in sawing and dressing timber. Another consideration was that by ordering large sizej) they know that they were getting timber from matured trees. His own 'firm had'lately landed 'one shipment of 100,000 ft., comprising only 85 pieces. These ranged from 18in'.. by 18in. to 24iri. by.24in., and' 27ft. to 40ft. in length; In other words, the pieces were all larger than ordinary New Zealand log.' Most'of this consignment was intended for sawing—for treatment as logs, in fact.

"The old. rates of 3s on large sizes and ,5s on.small left a margin .of 2s ,in favour of .large sizes," he continued. ."The same margin was preserved when . the , duties were raised to 5s 6d and 7s 6d last month, and. now with a further 2s/added in each case it is still the same. I do not. think this is sound policy. The effect will simply be to add to the cost ..of building." A Royal Commission in 1909 had recommended that no duty should be imposed on large sizes, and that sliding scale duties be put on smaller sizes, but the flat rate of 2s prevailed until 1927, when the Tariff Commission proposed that the rates be 2s on large and 4s on small. The Government, however, made the rates 3s and 5s respectively. He had no objection to tho increased duty on sawn dressed timber, or to that on laths and .shingles, which was simply for revenue. The new duty on uuworked logs was of no consequence. Except for some oak logs imported during or just after tho war, he knew of no timber imported in this form for many years past.

VIEWS OF MR. COATES.

POLICY OF PREFERENCE. ' ATTITUDE TO CANADA. [BX -TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Speaking in the. debate on the bill/ the Leader of the Opposition, the Rt. Hon. J. G.' Coates, said lie would have preferred the Government to have extended the policy of Empire preference rather than increase tariffs all round. It would have been desirable, for instance, to have reduced the duty on British ■ cars and trucks, while an increased duty on American cars would not have been out of place. He did not, however, favour'placing a-heavy tariff on foreign goods, which could not bo produced locally or in the Empiro and which were necessities. He asked the Prime Minister what he intended to do in consequence of the Canadian'tariffs against our produce. He suggested that the duties on motor-cars exported frijm Canada but very largely manufactured, (in parts) in the United States might be reviewed. It might be feasible to impose more stringent conditions as to the Canadian content in capital, labour and material employed in the manufacture of motor-cars. Referring to the petrol tax, Mr. Coates said lie was certain there was no need to adopt the attitude that the course accepted by the Government-was the only possible one.