THE DUTY ON FLOUR AND WHEAT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13999, 4 September 1907, Page 3

THE DUTY ON FLOUR AND WHEAT

PROaTiBT BY CHAMBER.OH

COMMERCE.

•On' Monday tio Dunedin Chamber of Gpranwrco foTwwdod Iho following telegram to tho Hon. J. A. Millar, WelUngtbni— ; ''■ : ; . '

Vis'lotbntion of duty on flour definitely Kittled I * If to oomo .up aguin for discussion, Chamber of Commerce committee proposes to agitato for its retention,. Tho following telegram wae received" in reply yesterday'morning:— <:■ : Your telegram-ro flour duty received. So; far as Government is concorned, w4 intend to aslc Parliament to Wain existing duty. It ie pbssiblo proviso may Iμ moved declaring duty ehall lie removed if flour has : reached a certain price.— J. A.. Millar.

On receipt of this telegram a special meetIP.-; of. tho Chamber of Commerce Committee •was convened, and held yesterday aftornoon,*wlh«n( after full consideration, it was. decided to forward the following tolcgram to' the, Prime Minister, tho Hon. J. A. Millar;', and , tlio members for.Dunedin:— Tho committee of • tho Chamber of Commorco strongly protests against removing, tho duties on flour-and wheat, us pfopbaed by somp members of Parliament. ■ It .pan seo no Toason • why the agrioultural population and the producers should bo, penalised whilo protection is bofnft irivon to all other industries in , Now' ;Zeahnd. The committee would further point out that the Commonwealth 6t Australia considers it to,its interests to put prohibitive duties upon our agricultural produoo.-rSigned) FBTER Babd, Secretary. ' i ~ • ■ ,

• (Per; United Pbess Assocutioh.) • ■■.. AUCKLAND, SoptenAer 3. A Bpecial meeting of tho council of, tho Aticklaiid' Chamber of Commerce.was held this _ afternoon to consider the proposed abolition. of tho duty on imported flour. Mr N. A.- Nathan, wlip presided, considwod it would be,a disastrous thing for tho whole community if tho duty was removed. Ttio south • Would be more affected tlian the north,, which did not grow wheat to any extent; but tho whok* colony would suffer.. .Mr Monnie eaid if the local'markot was thrown open to tho competition of Australaein tho milling-industry in Now Zealand would have to eliut'.'up.raltogether. Mr Krans sai<(,'if .there was' any ■ guararitco that tlio coiisuhier would got Wβ- loaf' iv

penny cheaper thoro vrould bo.room for argument.

_ Ultimately, after a great deal.of discus61OH a motion was carried expressing the opinion tJiat it is oxtromely lindesirabld that tho duty on floui' should he removed, as it is essential to the farming! interests of New Zealand that tho duty should be retained on both flour and wheat,

Tlio president of the Flpurmillors' Union or Workers telegraphed yesterday to the Minister o£ Customs as followrf:—"This respectfully protests' against,.the. abolition of tho flour duty, as it would deprive .-them .of their means of'livelihood,' and bo of no benefit to workers, directly or indirectly." . ' ' ' ■' ' • .