“CANADIAN ” CARS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18653, 23 August 1930, Page 8

“CANADIAN ” CARS.

GOVERNMENT’S RETALIATING DUTY. IMPORTERS PERTURBED. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, August 22. A deputation representative of the Motor Trade waited on the Prime Minister to-day, requesting that cars under order and exported from Canada before October 1 next should be allowed to enter the Dominion under the old tariff rate. The Prime Minister, while giving no promise that such a concession would be granted, said he would be pleased to go fully into the matter with the Comptroller of Customs. He stated that it was hoped the new duty would be of a temporary charater. Mr Hope Gibbons said: The Government’s action in imposing a special duty on Canadian cars naturally came as a big shock. They understood the necessity for the move, but the announcement made yesterday necessitated them cabling their factories and endeavouring to cancel all Canadian orders not yet exported. As certain of the orders were irrevocable, cancellation might be impossible, and they asked that such orders, exported before October Ist, should be allowed entry under the old rate. Mr Charles Todd described the new duties as a bombshell. The motor trade had been taxed in every possible way. England could not meet the modest demands of New Zealand in motor cars. His firm was losing money, and during the next twelve months would contribute no income tax to the Government, and would be forced to reduce its staff. Mr Forbes said the changes would cause a good deal of difficulty to those who were marketing Canadian cars. However, the only way New Zealand had to express its feeling towards Canada in the matter of increased butter rates, was to increase the duty on goods imported from Canada. It was hoped that as a result of the Government’s action it would be possible to come to some satisfactory arrangement with Canada.