TARIFF OVERHAUL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21560, 3 August 1933, Page 11

TARIFF OVERHAUL

EVIDENCE IN AUCKLAND WIDE VARIETY OF TOPICS I MEDICINES and toilet goods retention of rate sought Varying from lavender water to high explosives and from piston rings to playing-cards, the evidence tendered to . , the Tariff Commission yesterday again . covered a wide range of unrelated commodities. The members of the commission are Dr. G. Craig, chairman, Professor B. E. Murphy, Mr. J. B. Gow and Mr. G. A. Pascoe. fh» maintenance of the existing duties or. certain medicinal preparations (such as fluid magnesia, milk of magnesia, emulsion of cod liver oil and ointments pf the British pharmacopoeia) and on toilet goods (such as hair creams, talcum powders, face lotions and oil brilliantines) was sought by Sharland and Company, Limited.' for whom >\lr. Morton Cowie and Mr. Charles H. -Dell appeared. Tho former items aro now admitted at a duty of 20 iter cent ad valorem, and the latter at 35 per cent British and 55 per cent foreign. "If the present rate of duty on these toilet goods is maintained," said the firm's statement, "we are confident of materially increasing our output and of introducing a much wider range of locally-made toilet articles." z Representations were also made with a view to the duty on perfumed spirits being increased to coincide with the rate on ordinary spirits. It was further requested that liquid extract for manufacture into tinctures should be admitted free into manufacturing warehouses. Finally, it was asked that the present 3 per cent primage duty be abolished on all imports of crude drugs ' (i.e., herbs, leaves, roots and seeds used in manufacturing tinctures, and ■" en liquid extracts). Case lor British Glassware

A request that patent centrifugal castings for piston rings should be admitted free was made by Mr. Benjamin Johnson on behalf of B. Johnson and Sons, Limited. He said the present duty on the castings was 20 per cent ad valorem, the same as the duty on piston rings. The use of the castings was absolutely necessary if the local manufacturers were to compete with the best English piston rings. It was represented that the duty on the imported rings should be increased rather than decreased. The abolition or substantial reduction of the duty on British glassware was urged by Mr. Arthur L. Byrne, on behalf of F. S. Tyler, Limited. He said the goods mentioned were not manufactured locally with the exception of bottles and jam jars. The present duty on the British article was 20 per cent. Professor Murphy: If you cannot get abolition, would you suggest the amount of the reduction in duty? Mr. Byrne: Say, to 10 per cent if the duty is required for revenue purposes'.

The witness added that he agreed with the representations made in Wellington with regard to crockery. He appeared, only because the case for glassware had apparently not been stated there. Duty on Playing Cards ' The tqtal remission of duty on some lines and a substantial reduction on others were urged by Mr. E. Allan Brooker, who appeared on behalf of a group of manufacturing stationers and manufacturers of stationery sundries. The witness said the duty on manufactured stationery was 25 per cent ad valorem. He asked that the duty be reduced to about 10 per cent in cases where similar goods were made in New Zealand, and wholly remitted in other ;cases. The duty on stationer's sundries was 20 per cent ad valorem, and a similar application was mado in that connection. A case for the reduction of duty on playing-cards was also stated by Mr. Brooker. He said the New Zealand industry was so small that even a reduction of duty from sixpence to twopence of threepence, as suggested by him, would not constitute an economic barrier to the local manufacturer, but would place the British maker in the position of a domestic competitor. Mr. Brooker said the average price, f.0.b., Britain, of a pack of linen-fin-ished cards was fourpence. However, with the duty of sixpence, and freight, r-xchange and other charges, the landed cost in New Zealand was about one shilling.' That meant that, on cheaper cards, about 150 per cent was added to the original cost, although, in the case of better-class cards, the increase was only about 25 per cent. Professor-Murphy: Playing cards are made in New Zealand?— Yes, in Wanganui. Is the pasteboard made in New Zealand? —rNo. The actual board is imported. It is printed, glazed and cut here. The .following items will form the basis of representations before the commision to-dax-*—Granite and marble. Meccano, condensed milk, pig iron, ale. carpet sweepers, cutlery, sports goods and crockery. BACK-DATE MAGAZINES DUMPING DUTY OPPOSED VIRTUES OF CHEAP / READING Samplfes of "back-date magazines" were examined with interest by members of the Tariff Commission yesterday, when a case was put for not imposing a dumping duty on this type of light reading, as had been proposed by certain interests. "Before the war we did a big trade in what is known as 'sixpenny cheaps,' that is, paper-back novels," said Mr. Stanley Newcomb, a director of Stanley Newcomb and Company, Limited, wholesale stationers. "It was owing to this that wo looked round for other reading matter that could be sold at sixpenco retail and so bo within the means pf the artisan class and others. That is why wo started importing trade remainder magazines, both English and American, over 14 years ago. "We are not asking for a reduction nor for an increase in duty, a» we are Satisfied with the present tariif," said Mr. Newcomb. Replying to a question, Mr. Newcomb said the "back-date magazines" wero placed on sale about four months after current issues. He distributed samples among the members of the commission for. perusal. "They seem to have ft very high moral tone right through as far as 1 can see," said Professor B. E. Murphy, a member 'of the commission. Mr. Newcomb: Yes; they" are quite Useful, especially those dealing with physical culture. Professor Murphy: I am sure they Would do me a lot of good, but I have not the time to them. Mr.- Newcomb: They would not do you any harm. , The witness submitted further evidence confidentially.