BRITISH TARIFF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21165, 23 April 1932, Page 11

BRITISH TARIFF.

THE EXTRA DUTIES.

WIDE RANGE OF ARTICLES.

VARYING SCALE ADOPTED

HIGHEST ON LUXURIES

MAIN IMPORTS AFFECTED

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright

(Received April 22, H. 15 p.m.) LONDON. April 21

The Treasury has issued the first report of the Import Duties Advisory Committee. This imposes extra duties on a wide range of articles, mainly manufactured, which will come into operation at midnight on Monday.

The chief proposal is to raise the present general rate of 10 per cent, to 20 per cent. The committee explains that it could not make a detailed examination of each class of imports. It had been compelled to rely upon general information in order to cover as wide a field as it could and to prevent a possible revival of abnormal importations.

The committee points out that the 50 per cent, which is levied under the Abnormal Importations Act was intended to bo practically prohibitive. The safeguarding duties of 33-j per cent, applied only to a few selected commodities and it could not generalise from these regarding the effect of the duties applied to a large section of industry. Thereforo, tho committee decided to work on the lines of a general additional duty of 10 per cent., with a lower rate on certain products where special considerations arise, and higher rates on luxuries and semi-luxuries. Articles Under Four Categories. The 20 per cent, category includes certain canned vegetables, most kinds of pottery, glassware, metal furniture, cutlery, machinery, tools, electrical goods, textiles, apparel, boots, shoes, saddlery, paper, rubber manufactures, brooms and brushes. , The 15 per cent, category includes agricultural machinery, tools, and a considerable range of building materials. The 25 per cent, category includes fruit pulp, photographic paper, leather trunks, guns and sports goods. The 30 per cent, category includes oysters, caviare, toilet preparations, artificial flowers, furs, jewellery and silversmiths' wares. Wool Manufacturers Benefit. The committee recommends an additional duty of 23 1-3 per cent., making 331-3 per cent, for a minimum, as a check on abnormal importations until it has had time to consider and submit a more permanent scheme. It emphasises that its present proposals arc provisional, but it will not recommend any reductions during the coming 12 months. It is noteworthy that few agricultural products are included in the extra duties list. Wool manufacturers come under the 20 per cent, ad valorem duty and yarns under the 10 per cent, category. Thus tho duty on these is reduced from the 50 per cent, imposed under tho Abnormal Importations Act of November 20. BUDGET DEBATE. EX-CHANCELLOR'S VIEWS. EFFECTS OF GOLD SHORTAGE. (Received April 22, 9.35 p.m.) LONDON. April 21. Tho debate on the Budget was continued to-day in the House of Commons.

Mr. Winston Churchill, cx-Chancellor of the Exchequer, said tariffs alone would not solve the world's awful economic depression. It was not disputed that the chief cause of the troubles was the attempt to pay war debts and reparations over tariff barriers while the supplies of gold were inadequate. Was the whole progress of the human race to be arbitrarily barred by the gold shortage? Mr. Churchill suggested close and effective comradeship between Britain and the United States. If these two creditor nations, by agreed purpose, decided to deflate and revaluate commodities to the level of 1928 it would give the world's primary producers reasonable rewards and enable them again to buy manufactures. If the English-speaking peoples agreed upon such a policy France, in spite of her hoards of gold, would have to ask for admission to their councils next morning. These three Powers together could give a primary lead which would save the world from degenerating into chaos. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, wound up the debate by saying that, the cause of many of the world's troubles was the calamitous fall in world prices.

The Budget resolutions were agreed to

SUGAR PREFERENCES.

COLONIAL ALLOCATIONS.

FIJI THE THIRD HIGHEST

(Received April 22, 11.5 p.m.) LONDON. April 22.

The Colonial Secretary, Sir Philip Cun-liffe-L'ster, has telegraphed to the sugar-producing colonies explaining tho details of tho special preference of Is a cwt., ns outlined in the Budget.

On 275,000 tons for 1932-33, which is more than tho actual imports of colonial sugar last year, each colonial Government divides a detailed allocation of sugar for special preference among its own producers, hut the Colonial Offico has fixed the total for each colony. It has allocated as follows: —Mauritius, 95,400 tons; British Guiana, 46,900 tons; Fiji (the third highest), 40,400 tons. PREFERENCE ON TEA. CALCUTTA EXPORTERS. BENEFITS APPRECIATED. CALCUTTA, April 21. Calcutta exporters are very pleased with the preference on tea provided for in the British Budget, and more optimistic about the immediate future of the industry. Also, they hope, the preference will prevent a number of concerns producing medium and common teas from going into liquidation.