TARIFF COMMISSION

Southland Times, Issue 22146, 14 October 1933, Page 9

TARIFF COMMISSION

CHRISTCHURCH SITTINGS CONCLUDE. (Per United Press Association.) Christchurch, October 13. The Customs Tariff Commission concluded the hearing of evidence to-day and will leave for Wellington on Monday evening. Mr Alvine Norman Turner, director of Turner and Le Brun, sports goods dealers, asked for a revision of the tariff on cartridges and firearms. Referring to shot gun cartridges he said at present the protective duties were unfair because the Colonial Ammunition Company could make only 12 gauge cartridges. He asked for a reduction in the duty on gauges other than 12. He also asked for reduced duties on cartridge cases which it was practically impossible to import at present owing to the duty. He also asked for a reduction of duties on ball cartridges, saying that the New Zealand company made only ,303 cartridges which could be placed in a separate category. He also suggested lower duties on foreign rifles as Britain did not produce many of the popular sizes of sporting rifle. Mr Edmund John Bell, chairman of the executive of the Federated Master Painters’ Association, asked that the duty on white lead in oil be abolished as there was little possibility of this product being prepared in New Zealand. The present duty protected a handful of persons to the disadvantage of an overwhelmingly larger group. Mr Arthur Ecroyd asked for the maintenance of the present duties on honey-. 1