HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13996, 31 August 1907, Page 5

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FRIDAY, AUGUST 30. Tlio lloueo met at 2.30 n.m. Tho second reading of the Otaki and Porirua. Empowering Bill was postponed till Wednesday. LABOUR BILLS.

The .Industrial Conciliation anil Arbitration Act Amendment Bill'-.and the Factories Act Amendment Bill 1 wcrb read a sccond timo pro forma, and wero referred to the Labour Bills Committee. LEAVE OF ABSENCE.

j, Mr Paraia was granted 10 days' lcavo of ibjonco on account of ill-health! THE TARIFF.

Hie House went into committee on tho Tariff Bill. Tho PRIME MINISTER moved 1 that tho prpccndings bo reported in Hansard in a similar manner to that in which the proceedings of tho Committee of Ways and Mcamjnro reported (usually tho committee's proceedings arc not so reported). Thc.motion was agreed to. .Mr FIELD, moved an amondment to exoludo. grapes from a duty of Id per lb. . He contended that grapes could not bo grown in New Zealand for table purposes to compare with Australian grapes. Muoh hadtbe'on said of the grapes grown in Auckland, .hut tho southern portions of tho colony TiovQr saw grapes fit for the tabic which wero grown in Auckland, and it was unreasonable to inflict on poor people the extra-chnrgc.' Tho Hon. Mr MILLAR 'oppo&d the amendment. Mr POOLE contended- that if grapes wore allowed in frco it would ruin many of the small growers in Auckland. Mr LANG expressed dissatisfaction that tho duty-was not higher. ■Mr .BARBER'supported tho duty,'which, .ho.>«Md, afforded protection from tho introduction ofjihylloxora. ' . Mr RUTHERFORD, in supporting tho amondmont, said that whilst at Rotorua. he purchased . some Auckland grapes,' which tasted, like. Rotorua bath wator. Tlio amendment was lost by 51 vdtcs W 3.4. .

Mr MILLAR,..in roply to Ihe Hon Mr Guinness, said that tho portion of tfio £200,000 remitted on sugar that' would benefit the manufacturers of beer ■ would bo £3o:o. V • Mr POOLK moved an amendment providing that sugar required for tho manufacture of boor should 6 tiil nay duty, i Mr WIT,I'ORD, whilst sympathising with Mr. Poole, said it would be impossible to flay. which portion of the eumj, if any, imported would-be used for the manufacture.of beCr. ~He added that if £3000 was alt that would bo derived from this source tho. cost of collecting, tho duty would swallow up tho whole ainount. The ' Hon. Mr GUINNESS said tho breweries had to supply tho Customs with the monthly returns, which could be utilised for the nurposo of oollcoting tiie duty. Mr-MILLAII opposed tho amendment, ae it'-'would bo practically impossible to oollcct tile duty. < ■ ■ ■ Mr FISHER said that though he was on tho lio-liccnso platform as much' as any other member of the Houso ho would, support tbo Government. : Air POLAND contended tliat to meet the object of. the amendment'it would be better to'inercaso the excise duty on beer. Tho amendment wae lost liv '38 votes to .

Mr GRAHAM asked the Minister it lie oouM give an assurance that the rcduciio'it of . the duty on sugar would benefit t.hc vcnsuraer. Ho contended that jams should bo half-penny per lb aheapcr, but if jam manufacturers were in the eame position M the brewers, and failod to pass the concessioii' on to tho consumer," then the diity slioWld bo retained, as tho money would be hotter in the bands of tlio Government. Mr T. MACKENZIE urged that the Commerce Department should keep an eyo on tho' prico of raw materials coming into tho colony and tho prioo at which tie manufaetiirodr article was retailed to the consumer. . Mr MILLAR, in reply to Mt Hogg, said 'tho reduction oh sugar would not affect tho Sugar Refinery in Auckland in any way. The point to bo remembered was that, if tlio Colonial Sugar Company found it would bo'cheaper to refine aigar in Fiji it would jemove its refinery there, whether the duty WW retained or not. Mr WOOD asked if tho Government, would take fitep3 to enmtro that,' purchasers of tobacco jronld get 16oz to tho lb. At present they got so many etirire, and thereby lost, about two ounces, Mr MILIAR said that perhaps that could be provided for in a bill to be introduced. Sir T. MACKENZIE moved an amendment to place tea, however packed, oh the frob list. ,

MINISTER said a deal of tea-packing v wsb jot carried on in tho colony, and tho provision that tea in losa quantities than 51b bo taxed to tho extent of 2d per lb was lo protect tho industry. Mv.T. MACKENZIE wid the teas peeked in Ceylon and India wore puro teas, but large quantities of decoctions were mixed up with tlio locally packed teas and were sold at enormous profits. In fact thewholesalo houses, who were not jimlahthropisls, allowed retailers 50 per ccnt. He asserted (Jut tlio average prico paid for tea wag Ed. This was retailed to the consumers hero at an average price of Is (id, Tho .amendment was negatived by 41 votes to 26. 1 * Mr DAVKY moved that tho dutv on «cetio acid be reduced from lid to id per lb, as tlio local manufacturers,,were boing protected to tlio oxtent of 100 per cent. Ho added that puro acetic acid was not beinj; mado in tho colony, as tho local product contained sulphuric" acid. Mr MIIiLAR said that whilst sympathising intli Mr Davoy's amendmont he must opposo it, as one firm in tho colony manufactured an article which did not contain tho least trace of sulphuric acid. Mr BARBER, i n supporting the amendment. said that 100 per cent, protection was too high, especially as acotic acid \va6 in , many industries. He further added that little labour was employed in tho manufacture of aectie acid, yet tl\cy wero penalising many industries by t.he tax. .Tho disounsion was proceeding when theilouso adjourned at 5.30 p.m. EVENING FITTING. Tho Houso resumed at 7.30 .p.m. Mr Davoy's amendment was negatived by 31 votes to 25. In reply to ilr Hardy. Mr MILLAR said tho duty on lacco had boon reduced as they were largely u6cd for "children's pinafores,, otc.

Mr AITKEN said tho present duty on ootfon laces, which wero largely tisod for pinaforb. was 20 per cent., and silk laces, which were used by tho wealthy classes, wero receiving the boncfit. Ho urged that cotton laccs should remain at 20 per cent., ami any lace containing silk should pay a higher tax.

The class was passed unaltered. At silks, satins, velvets, plushes not other■wise enumerated, composed of silk mixed with any'othor material in the piece, 25 per cent, ad valorem up to and including the 31st December. 1907, thoreaftor 20 per cent., Mr GUINNESS moved to strike out all tho words aftor ad valorem.

Tho amendment was nogatived by 42 VOtOfl to Mi. Mr OKBT mored an amendment to reduce tho duty on hosiery not otherwise enumerated from 25 to 20"per cent. Mr MILLAR, in opposing the amendment. said that numerous articles oamc in under the name of hosiery knitted garments. which were in every sense wearing upparel, and which were scheduled at 49 por cent. Ho added tliat hosiery was manufactured in the colony, and last year the value of tho industry was £65,000.

Mr ALLEN' contendod that the industry had prospered under a 20 per cent, duty, and should remain at that.

Tim amendment was negatived by 3+ Tote to 27.

MrfißAliOY moved as an amendment to mokq the duty on men's boots 25 por cent. Ha eihibitpd a number of bqqte. Tbo first

exhibit ho described as a colonial-mndo Bluohcr, and said it consisted of bull' 6 wool, cardboard, and wood'instep,'and the rest of tho material ho described as a disgraeo to tho colony. The second exhibit was what ho called a working man's Sunday boot, and was made of good English leather. Tho coot in England was 4s OJd. This boot, he tail], could bo landed here at 6s, and sold profitably at 8s 6d per pair. An imitation of 'this boot wait inado. in tlio colony, and it was a shoddy article, yet it could not bo soldi under lis. Ho knew that tho Minister could carry his proposals through, but if he did bo the country would want to know the reason why. •

Mr lIANAN reforrcd to llic prosperous condition of tho boot trade in Victoria under Protection, whilst in. New South Wales tho boot trade, under Frectradc' was in a languishing slate. He claimcd' that under Protection tho hoot trade of tho CDlony would prosper, and that shoddy would bo kept out. He would support the Liovcrninent.6 proposal. Mr lANNER referred to the deolinc in tlio jiumbcrs of workpien employed in tho boot trade, and stated that owing to tho oss of the time of the men in this industrv the average earning* of tho workers wero shockingly io W , i„ jgos onc factor , worked 26 fulj weeks, and in 1906 the samo factory worked only 15 full weeks. lie urged that somo thought should be given to the inen concerned in thin industry, a 6 it should he the aim of New Zealand to be a self-contained oountry. Tho proposals of the Government were marked. by extromo moderation, and lie should support them.

vMr lIARDY asserted that a syndicate had been formed in New Zealand to cover the boot trade. AYe should have Rockefellers in tlio colony, "and ho.' was not prepared to give l-hcrn his' assistance.' He was, liko Mr Tanner, in favour'of unionism and of helping tho worker, but this protection was going into the pockets of the syndicate. He urgctl that women's boots and slippers should bo allowed in ut under 25 per cent. duty. Mr MILLAR 6aid it was surprising what had been done since the passing of the resolutions. Importers previously would not look ,it a colonial-miulo boot, yet sinco tho resolutions had been passed an order had been given for three timos the usual quantity of colonial boots. He contended that until shoddy boots were imported into the country the boots made in tho colonv wore of goo<l leather, arid it was onlv through imported : shoddy that tlie local manufacturers liad had to adopt-the samo practices.

Mi' POQLE said that whilst believing in granting protection to the young industries of a young oountry he wis not going to support any syndics to, and would vote'-for the amendment. ,

Mr MASSEY said tho duty was going to penaliso hu*hmen, miners, ar(d gunuliggors, who wore tho choapo'r sorts of" boots. ." ' Mr ELL contended' that tho Ikmls worn by the labouring classes of this colony wore made here.

Mr LAURENSON contended that no country.-in the world had ever built up an industry without Protection. Evon in England the districts of Liverpool and Manchester wore protobtod from the industries of Ireland by a; hitrh tariff wall, and it was only when England had firmly established her industries that she tore her tariff down.

Mr HURRIES objected to a duty being levied on oach pair of boots instead of on value. Ho s«*ixl ho could not understand a democratic Government taxing cheap boots at- a- proportionately mtrher rate than the higher-prioed boots." The amendment was negatived by 45 votos to 22.

Mr MILLAR moved an amendment to include slippers with carpet iwine or canvas poles ui the list of goods paying 22J per cent. duty. . ° Mr ITARDY Mr Millar io includo comjx>sitc-soled slippers in the amendment, but Mr Millar said he declined to plaeo leather-foled slippers in tho class, and must decline to accede to Mr Hardy's rcauest,

The amendment was agreed to. Mr ITARDY moved that, the duty on leather -belting be reduccd from <d to 3d per lb. The amendment, was negatived bv 33 votos to 25.

Progress was llien reported, and the House adjourned at 0.45 a.m.