Our Daily Sugar

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 84, 14 August 1923, Page 8

Our Daily Sugar

AMENDMENT 3iLl. PASSED. THE QUESTION OF DUTY. Wellington, August 13. The Customs Amendment Bill was introduced in the House to-night. In moving the second reading the Hon. W. D. Stewart said the mam purpose of the Bill was to enforce the resolutions recently passed by the House, the second object was to make minor alterations in connection with the duties on raw materials required by certain industries, and the third object was to adjust certain matters in connection with the resumption of trade with Germany and Austria. This was admittedly a v-'T - diffiult aiid complicated matter to deal with, but he thought Now Zealand had met tlio position as successfully as any other country, ana' the regulations drafted by the department had met with the almost universal approval of Chambers of Commerce.

Clause two dealt with the duty on articles made in Germany and from German material; clause three provided an amendment of the tariff; clause four confirmed the resolu : clause five stabilised tho position ready agreed to by the House; clause five stablished the position regarding the commercial treaty with Australia, while clause six kept alivo , our rights under the treaty with South Africa; and clause seven majilo- the, duties .apply to the Cook Islands,. Further amendments were, also being proposed for the remission of the duty ,in pertain cases. He asked.the House to accept his assurance that the most careful inquiry bad been made and that the interests of loca] industries were being preserved. As to the question of tho duty on sugar, ho reminded the House that within a few days the new duties would operate and it would greatly disorganise the whole of tho arrangements if any change of policy took place now. Mr T. M. Wilford (Leader of the Opposition) said ho would not reiterate all the arguments ho used recently against the proposed duty on sugar. He had not changed his opinion in the slightest degree and he was 1 .not going to assist the Colonial Syga r Company to put a pistol to tho head of the Government. With regard to clause two, dealing with dutios on articles coining from countries suffering from a depreciated currency, he pointed out that Italywas in this category and consequently motor car tyres were coming In from that country cheaper than from any British country, and ho suggested an additional schedule to meet this. case.

Mr A. Harris (Waitemata) appealed to the House to agree to the Government's sugar prpoosals, otherwise great injury would be done to many of our industries. As a result of its investigation into the whole question the industries committee was quite • nti ■■ r :'\\ that it war, not possible for the company to*continue its Now Zealand operationc on tlio free trade basis which prevailed before the war. Mr J. McCombs (Lyttelion) said it was argued that protection was required by the Colonial Sugar Company because of its additional wage beet. This increase in wages amounted to £26,250 per annum and to enable the company to pay tins «um the people of Now Zealand were to be taxed to the extent of £IBO,000 to _£190,000 per annum. Mr Massey said Mr MoConibh' calculation was quite erroneous. He had forgotten that probably half the sugar brought into New Zealand would wmi> from Fiji and would theroforo not pay any duty Ho was satisfied the Colonial Sugar Coropany had not made oxeessive profits out of New Zealand, because we had been getting our sugar cheaper than any other country. He *as satisfied that if this arrangement felj through sugar was going to be much dearer. The Colonial Suga r Company might Ik> a trust, but Java sugar wa?, controlled by a trust that was even greater.

The Minister, m lepty. s?'d he had been greatly disappointed 'n h's efforts to help some of the se/ondaiy industries of the Domin on. tor be bad been asked all lmtnd lo irrpo.se these duties and as soon a* t-h - r>oposaJs were brought down they wero opposed. So far a-- •>i nm eon cerned there was "oc tno slightest evidence that the Co! mial Sugar Company was exploiting the people of New Zealand. The fact was that thoy were supplying sugai cheaper than any other country and the duty proposed was required to recoup the company foj- increased running costs. He stated that over and over again, but if be could not convince members he could not help it. It was useless ix> say the Government should take over the company's refinery unless it could bo shown that tho duty was unnecessary The Bill was then read a second time and the House went into committee on the measure.

At clause threo Mr Holland mon.nl an amendment affirminjj; that the Colonial Sugar Company should jruarantee that the price of sugar should not bo raised to the people and that there also should bo a guarantoo of continuity of adequate euear supplies.—The amendment was defeated by 30 votes to 27. In the schedule of the Bill, Mr McComhs proposed to strike out the reference to the sugar duty.—Thin was defeated '■•""■ '- nn The Bill v,...; -w)