AN AUCKLAND PETITION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2785, 31 July 1907, Page 17

AN AUCKLAND PETITION.

In regard to the proposed new duties on boots and shoes, a petition protesting against any increase was presented to the House to-day by Mr Baume from several bootmakers and sellers of colonial and imported boots and shoes at Auckland. They point out that the present duty is 37£ per cent, on American and Continental goods, and 25 per cent, on those of English ma-nu-facture, "to which has to be added the various commissions and profits." The> petition sets forth that " the present high tariff adequately protects local industry. The factories of the colony are not only receiving a fair share of the work, but positively have more orders than they can execute, and there has never be-en a time in the history of the colony when the factories were enjoying greater prosperity." The petitioners go on to say that they " are unable to obtain full supplies of colonialiriade goods, and the reason given by the manufacturers is that they are unable to obtain sufficient machinists to cope with the work. The boot operatives have refused to agree to a scheme put before them for the introduction of machinists from the Australian Commonwealth, and cstees are known to your petitioners where travellers have been recalled before they have covered their usual rounds on account of their employers having too much work on hand. Any addition to the already high tariffwill only increase the burden cf the workers without any corresponding benefit, and your petitioners are at a loss to understand why the trade should desire to increase those burdens."