DUTY ON LUXURIES

Taranaki Daily News, 3 May 1930, Page 29 (Supplement)

DUTY ON LUXURIES

DUMPING POSSIBLE.

EFFECT ON SHIPPING.

It is reported that the coming 'ira T position of 50 per cent, duty by the Australian Government- on luxuries imported'into Hie Commonwealth is : having an extremely bad effect on shipping to° New Zealand. The Aorangi on her last journey is said to have brought onlv 900 tons of cargo for New Zealand and Australia from Vancouver, insteid of the usual 3000 tons.'

Another report- states that the Waiotapu and the Hauraki, trans-Pacifie freighters .trading between San Francisco, Los Angeles, Australia, and New

Zealand, will be tied up after discharging owing to,lack of cargo from Pacific Coast porta for Australia and New Zealand a<s a result of the 50 per cent, duty. The question of dumping ia alsi a possibility, as it is rumoured that during the next few months American firms will endeavour to dump large quantities of cargo into Aust-ilia before the new duty takes -ffiet. Advices state that the. Wairuna, cm. route for New Zealand from America, ha. 3 3000 tons instead of the-.rjsual 80JO or 0009 tong.of cargo. When the matter was refmvd to Mr. N. Greenland, manager of the Christchurch branch of the Unijn Steam Ship Company, he stated that he had not received any advices of the amount of cargo being shipped. While admitting that the approaching imposition of the duty would eave something of the effect suggested, he tensidered that it would not be as bad as was suggested. The dern.on, if made, to tie up any ships belonging to the company, would be embodied in the weekly shipping list. “Ilnvever, there is a contradiction in that in one. place it is alleged that the ships w.ll be tied up while further on he report states that dumping will take place,” he said.