INVESTIGATION OF TARIFF

Taranaki Daily News, 26 September 1933, Page 6

INVESTIGATION OF TARIFF

EVIDENCE AT CHRISTCHURCH. COMPETITION FROM JAPAN. By Telegraph—Press Association. \ Christchurch, Last Night. Before the Tariff Commission to-day Mr. Norman .John Suckling gave evidence on behalf of Robert Malcolm Ltd. respecting cotton goods, buttons, elastics, haberdashery, wearing apparel and general drapery. He asked that British cotton piece goods remain on the free list. British buttons were free, and he asked for a duty of 50, per cent, on Japanese and Italian buttons.

Mr. Suckling said elastic was duty free, wearing apparel (British) 27 J per cent., hosiery 27J, and cotton and laces 20 per cent. He asked that the general tariff on elastics should be 50 per cent., wearing apparel 55 per cent. On hosiery he asked that the British duty be 20 per; cent., with a general duty of 45 per cent Shoes and laces, he urged, should be free from Britain, with 100 per cent, general tariff. British goods met heavy competition from Japan in all cotton fabrics. For carpets and rugs witness asked that tire present duties of 25 per cent. British and 50 general be reduced to British 20 per cent, in part and 15 per cent, in part and general 45 and 40. Mr. Ernest W. Reed, secretary, and Mr. Francis W. J. Belton, engineer, of the Christchurch Gas Company, spoke of the duties on ammonia, one of the by-pro-ducts of gas manufacture. The present rates were British free, general 4d lb. and Australian’“free. They asked that the rates be British 20 per cent., Australian 30 per cent., and American and Continental 50 per cent. Mr. Belton said the company had for some time considered the manufacturing of benzol but had not considered it a commercial possibility if benzol had to pay the same taxation as petrol. Under the present conditions with complete exemption from tax the proposition would be just worth while to the company. Mr. George Henry Holford, representing Imperial Chemical Industries, said sulphate of ammonia was at present duty free from all sources. He asked that the new rates be British free and general 15 per cent. The duty would not increase the price to the farmer but would stop sporadic foreign price-cutting, chiefly from Japan.