The Tariff Commission.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XX, Issue 6210, 20 March 1895, Page 1

The Tariff Commission.

V BY TELEGRAPH.) Christchurch, March 19. At the Tariff Commission to-day Mr Staveley (president) and Mr Murphy (secretary of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association) gave evidence on behalf of the Association, and at the request of a number of station holders and others against the proposals to place a duty on imported sheep dip. At the request of the, Commission the witnesses gave their opinion as to whether or not a duty should be placed on certain implements and materials used by farmers. A. L. Smith (of the Milburn Cement Company) and H. B. Kirk (president of the Canterbury Industrial Association and representative of Wilson and Comnany, cement manufacturers, Auckland) attended and asked for a duty on imported cement. Mr Kirk pointed out that if this were done, vessels, instead of bringing out cement as ballast, would probably bring out bricks, and he asked that this might be provided against. W. Leach (of Gavin, Gibson and Co.), J. Harris (of W. Harris and Co.), and A. Nicholls (of Chisnall, Stewart and Co.), boot importers, attended to protest against the proposed tariff of manufacturers and shoemakers, on the ground that it would increase the cost of Home-made boots of the kind used by the poorer classes. They objected to a sliding scale, as it would affect the cheaper classes of boots, which could not be manufactured in the colony. Mr J. L. Scott, of Scott Brothers, asked for a remission in the tariff on nuts, tapped nuts, set screws, engineers' studs, plumbago crucibles, boiler tubes, boiler furnaces and flues, and Adamson's flues, as they could not be manufactured in the colony. Engines above a certain capacity should be made to pay duty as well as smaller engines, as they could be manufactured profitably in the colony. He recommended that governors for engines should not be admitted free.