IMPORTED BUTTER BOXES

Taranaki Daily News, 29 August 1930, Page 15

IMPORTED BUTTER BOXES

AMERICAN GOODS' IN DUNEDIN. LOCAL INDUSTRY’S HARD FIGHT. That the timber industry of New Zealand is having to fight for its very existence at present, and that the tariff imposed by the Government on fe reign timbers, particularly American, has been long overdue, is, says the Dunedin Star, universally recognised, but what percentage of the public is aware of the fact that New Zealand dairy companies are able to import butter boxes and cheese crates from other parts of the world and yet escape the paying of duty. At present there are sufficient bundles of ready-cut timber lying in the goods shed at the wharf to make up about 2000 cheese crates for one of the local factories. These crates were landed here by the Golden Coast, an American subsidised st< mcr, and represent timbers grown in California. They are all branded ready for use, one of the inscriptions being “New Zealand dairy produce.” When the matter was referred to the manager' of a Dunedin dairy factory by a Star representative he was informed that tire price was. the guiding facto’ - in the whole business.. In the case of butter boxes local factories found that they could save a considerable sum by the importation of the foreign boxes, and that the duty intended to protect the New Zealand goods was refunded to the companies when the boxes and crates were filled with butter and cheese and exported. As far as quality was concerned, the New Zealand white pine box could not be equalled, and it was pointed out that Australian dairy producers were now placing largo orders for this timber. “Wo havo been, .fighting very hard to impress upon the Government the necessity for a tariff on imported buttei boxes and cheese crates, but because tho farmers of this country continue to insist on their selfish attitude, the Government will do nothing to assist us,” declared a representative of the timber industry. “It is absolutely absurd to think that New Zealand butter and cheese arc exported ‘..in foreign ■boxes, and nwii'? ' ujG io.h.j-mj. rd..’upv';