TARIFF DUES

Southland Times, Issue 22132, 28 September 1933, Page 8

TARIFF DUES

COMMISSION’S INQUIRY COST OF IMPORTED DOORS REPLY TO PREVIOUS EVIDENCE (Per United Press Association.) Christchurch, September 27. Evidence concerning imported doors, barbed wire, watches and brushware was given before the Tariff Commission to-day. Mr Harold Ernest Otley, director of C. E. Otley Ltd., said the present duties on doors were 30 per cent, or 4/British and 55 per cent, or 7/6 general. Witness replied to the evidence of Mr A. J. Maxwell at Auckland in which he had quoted the price of a house door in America as 6/6 and on Mr Maxwell’s figures the door could be landed in New Zealand at 14/8. These figures witness challenged. They meant that clean kiln dried Douglas fir was sold in Canada for 6/6 per 100 superfeet. This was clearly impossible. The best price obtainable to-day for Oregan door stock from Canada was 13/3 a door. This was raw material without manufacture and Mr Maxwell had suggested that the complete door could be landed at 14/8 which allowed only 1/5 for manufacture. Witness said there was no reason for reducing the duties, but rather for increasing them. He denied that the tariff had increased the cost of locally made doors. Mr lan Lindsay Roswell Ower of the Cyclone Fence Company said that the present duties on barbed wire were British free, foreign 10 per cent. He wanted the duties as follows: British free, Australian 5 per cent, or £1 per ton and the duty on Canadian and American sufficient to make it dearer than the local product This would have to be done with a sliding scale. He asked that the duty on wire exceeding one eighth inch be British 20 per cent., Australia 20 per cent., general 45 per cent. Mr Irving Whitworth Sladen, Managing Director of Frederick Sladen and Son Ltd., asked for a reduction of the duty on watches. He said the present landing charges on watches were so high that it was impossible to sell a good watch because the customers were unable to pay the price. He asked for a reduction of the duty to 20 per cent,, irrespective of the country of origin, the duty to be levied at par, not on depreciated currency.