THE TARIFF

New Zealand Times, 12 September 1907, Page 6

THE TARIFF

FURTHER PROGRESS. The House yesterday resumed conMuicruiiou oi the taiiu in committee. Mi .uuN-oy, .speaking in regard to timber duties, .said a very considerable busi-ne.-w. wart done boiwou-n Australia and ,\e*v Zealand. The commonwealth Was now rovising its taritl, and he understood that an import duty wins being put on eciaain Now Zealand timben* tssawn;, whilst at the same time logs were* being allowed to go almost free. That being 60, it b'/hovod the Minister to look into the matter. The item. Mr Millar said he was watching the matter very closely. Under tho Timber Excise Duty Act they had the power now, without further legislation, to increase tho amount on log© from 3s to .>s jHvr 100. If lie found that any large amount of logs wu« going away, he would increase the duty. If they were to bo forced into this position, so that Australia could get our timber in tho whole instead of sawn, then he would retaliate by putting a duty on logs equal to the import duty. Mr Barber said he was in hopes that the duty on timber would bo abolished altogether. .>!«• jonopii Ward maintained that, it would bo a suicidal thing to Like the duty oil timber and throw our doors open to a country having a high protective tariff against us. Thousands of men in this country depended on the timber Industry for a living, and to remove the duty would immediately mean the dislocation of the labour market. Hi regard to the Commonwealth tariff, they ought to wait until that was finally dealt with before arriving at a decision. MOTOR WAGGONS.. Mr Davey urged that motor waggons should come in free, peeing that traction engines wore on the free list. Air Millar eaid he projjosed, when L came to the free list, that chasses shook include the under-waggons of these particular vehicles. FLOUR AND WHEAT. The discussion on tho Hour and wheat duties is reported in another column. CALF MEAL. Mr Okey moved to strike prepared calf meal oli ‘the 23 per cent, duty, in the interests of the dairying industry. Mr Millar said this meal could be made in the colony. The amendment was lost by 39 votes to 30. WYANDOTTE. On tho item "soap powders, etc., 20 per cent./' a claim was put in by several Opposition members to allow such cleansing* preparations as "Wyandotte" to be admitted free, in the interests of tho dairying industry. Mr Massey moved to add the words "Not otherwise enumerated," with the object of subsequently inserting "Wyandotte" in tho freo list, but ho failed, the ayes being 16 and the noes 42. BRUSH WARE.

Mr Aitkcn, referring to the item "Brooms, brushes, and brushware, 25 per cent./' stated that painters' brushes were not manufactured in the colony, therefore it was unfair to impose a heavy duty upon articles so necessary to workmen in their occupation. Tho Minister, in reply, pointed out that the output of brushes from New ; Zealand factories had been steadily increasing. Though tho finish of the New ; Zealand article was not quite as good us the English brush, the bristle was just as good. He produced a large num- ; ber of samples of New Zealand made | painters' brushes. With regard to camelbrushes, he would agree to exempt them from the duty. j Mr Aitkeu moved to make the duty apply only to whitewash brushes, paperhangers' paste, limewash, glue, and tar- : brushes. Lost by 33 votes to 27. I At this stage progress was reported, | schedule A being completed. I The Premier, at 1.40 a.m. said h© posed to ask the House next day to fm.V l - • the Tariff Bill. They had only the free list and the preferential List now to put through. Some amendments would re- ! quire to be brought down by Governor's : message, and he hoped to take the third | reading of tho Bill on Friday, and the second reading of the Land and Income [ Assessment Bill on Tuesday. He asked the House to agree to this even though they might have to sit late next night. Mr Massey said ho thought the Pro mier would admit good progress had been made. He had not the slightest intention of obstructing the business whatever. . The Hons© rose at 1.45 a.m.