UNITED STATES TARIFF

Otago Witness, Issue 3495, 1 March 1921, Page 17

UNITED STATES TARIFF

WASHINGTON, February 21. Mr Fordney, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, who has returned from a conference with air W. G. Harding (President-elect), announced that Mr Harding tentatively approved of the virtual re enactment during the coming sesssion of Congress of the Payne-Aldrich high tariff law of ex-President Taft’s Administration as an emergency tariff. February 22. The Senate and House of Representatives Committee has begun a conference in order to agree on the exact terms of the tariff measure which both bodies passed, but with various dissimilar amendments. An agreement liftc already been reached on the butter duty of six cents per pound. February 27. The House passed the report of the conference on the Tariff Bill by 205 votes to 127. SAN FRANCISCO, February 26. With the arrival of the steamer Tahiti with 500 bales of Australian wool and the expectation of 31,000 bales in March shipping men declare that it is the beginning of a heavy movement in wool to anticipate the wool tariff. WILL 11’ AFFECT NEW ZEALAND? EXPORTS OF WOOL AND TALLOW. (From Our Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, February 23. A cablegram published yesterday, stating that the Amerloan President-elect ’.ad tentatively approved of a virtual reenactment of the Payne-Aldrich High

Tariff Law, 1909, has not so far caused concern in local exporting circles. In fact, many men engaged in the exporting business to 'he United States consider the high protective tariff, which was dropped in 1913, when the Wilson Administration came into pawer. will not be reverted to, but it, is worthy of note that last week there were no American buyers operating at the Christchurch wool sales. It is said that they held off in anticipation of the High Tariff Law being enforced before they could get what wool they might purchase shipped to the United States. In the absence of definite information exporters were disinclined to express an opinion to a Press reporter as to what effect the high American tariff, if enforced, would have on New Zealand exports to that country. Inquiries led to opinion that the orlv produos exported from New Zealand to the United States liable to be affected by the imposition of the Payne Aldrich High Tariff Law will be wool and tallow. In the Wilson tariff, introduced in 1913, wool was made free of duty, but the Payne-Aldrich tariff of 1909 imposed a duty of 15 cents per lb for greasy, and 33 cents for scoured woo! This would be, roughly, an extra charge of 7jd per lb on our wool sent to the United States, but if America had not sufficient raw wool for her own requirements she would be just as likely to buy from New Zealand as h-om any other country if the prices were right. Of the dominions tallow export 75 ner cent, has gone to America. Since 19D it has been duty free, but if the 1909 scale .is reverted to, there will be a charge of half a cent per lb. “However, half a cent is nothing.’’ declared one exporter.