THE CUSTOMS BILL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22368, 15 September 1934, Page 14

THE CUSTOMS BILL

SLOW PROGRESS MADE ARGUMENT ON BEER DUTY (Fko.m Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, September 14. The controversy regarding the equity of the Government’s proposal to reduce the import ami excise duties on beer by 3d a gallon resulted in the House of Representatives making poor progress to-day on the committee stages of the Customs Acts Amendment Bill. Argument developed along personal lines, the principal parties involved being the Minister of Customs (Mr J. 6. Coates) and the Lea'der of the Opposition (Mr M. J. Savage), The result was that the Labour members determined to hold up the progress of the Bill in retaliation for what they considered to be an unfair'attack on their leader. There, seemed to be a rfiuctance on the part of the Labour members to accept Mr Coates’s explanation that the reduction in the excise duty on beer was wrapped up in the question of developing a market for New Zealand hops, in England.

An interesting division on the beer duty question was in prospect, but owing to the Labour blockading tactics the division bells had not rung when time for the adjournment arrived. WHEAT DUTY QUESTION.

Earlier in the sitting argument on the wheat duty question was renewed. The real issue on this question will arise when items in the schedule of the Bill are reached, but a division was forced on clause 9 of the Bill, which has reference to one aspect of the question, namely, the conferring of power on the Minister to make decisions if any dispute arises as to the current domestic value of wheat. The clause was retained by 59 votes to G. REPORTS TABLED. Several important reports i.ere tabled to-day, the principal one being from the Select Committee of members of Parliament which inquired during the recess into the monetary system. This report has been the subject of facetious inquiry in the House ever since the session began, and it came as no surprise to hear Mr P. Fraser inquire whether the Government proposed to set aside a session for its discussion. The report covers 92 pages, and the evidence runs into 740 pages. As confidently predicted, the committee’s findings were not unanimous. Other reports tabled to-day covered the year’s activities of the Post and Telegraph, Lands, Mines, and Crown Land Settlement Departments. When the House resumes on Tuesday consideration of the Customs Bill will be continued.