THE SUGAR DUTY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19261, 27 August 1924, Page 7

THE SUGAR DUTY.

CLOSE DIVISION EXPECTED. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, August 20. A close division is expected when the Bill necessary to give statutory effect to the sugar duty agreed to by resolution of the House comes up for its second reading, or a further debate is almost certain to ensue, and it is anticipated that the division will be a fairly close one. The £2 IBs 4d per ton preference was carried by only three votes. Mr Hnwken (the member for Egmont and a staunch supporter of the Government) voted on that occasion against the duty, while Messrs Witty and Isitt, who usually vote with the Government, were absent. How these three will vote, or whether they will vote on the Bill, is not known. It was expected that Messrs Murdoch, de la Pcrrelle, and Atmore would have voted with the Government the. other evening to prevent any possible closing down of the works at Auckland, but they went with the Liberals and the Labourites into the lobby against Hie Government proposal. Judging from telegrams received in Wellington during the past few' days, there is considerable dissatisfaction in regard to the attitude of the members for Awarua and Nelson, in whose constituencies there are important industries dependent upon adequate and constant supplies of high grade sugar. In view of the uncertainty that exists trie possible division on the Bill is being looked forward to with interest.