TO PAY PENSIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12086, 15 August 1917, Page 4

TO PAY PENSIONS.

NEW PREFERENTIAL SURTAX. UNFAIR TEA TAX PROFITS. CONSUMERS ENTITLED TO REFUND. [From Otr Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, August 14. A fresh series of Customs resolutions and a Bill entitled the Regulation of Trade and Commerce Amendment were adopted by the House today after a brief debate. The result will be increases in the preferential surtax on goods not British made, raising extra revenue to enable all pensions except current war pensions to be increased by 5s weekly, while traders who promptly charged the extra, duty on tea will, on the demand of customers, backed by statutory authority, have to make a refund. The Finance Minister explainod to the House that the proposed duty of 80 per cent on silks would create an anomaly in the Customs Department. Ho therefore asked the House to pass a resolution putting a. preferential surtax on certain goods not produced or manufactured in British dominions. By doing that a very considerable increase in revenue would be obtained, whilo it would also do away with certain anomalies. The Minister also explained that he wished the House to put through an important Rill with the object to prevent anyone in New Zealand who held a stack of tea at the time intimation was made that a duty of '3d per lb would bo imposed, from raising; the price of tea by 3d on those stocks ho already held. Mr Witty; They have already done it. Sir Joseph Ward: Very well, they will have to refund it. This was not the reason why the House was asked to make increases in revenue, but ior the reason that it was in the country's interests. He had the authority of the Government for stating that, if the alterations he, would submit were approved by the House old age pensioners would have an increase of 5s weekly upon their pensions. (Hear, hoar.) One was contingent on the other, as the Government could not let revenue go. Sir Joseph Ward stated that no increase was proposed in the actual duties, the only changes being in the preferential surtax on goods not being the produce or manufacture of British dominions, so as to give preference to goods of British manufacture. Cigars were being made, in Neiv .Zealand and it had been officially represented to him that if the same rate of excise were imposed on locally-made cigars as on the imported it would result in a. stoppage of the local manufacture. Thus, instead of b\s i 7 ,d duty the local factories would pay 4s a lb. If the local manufacture of cigars were increased so as to seriously affect the excise revenue the Governor-in-Council would have power to increase the duty. MEMBERS' .SUGGESTIONS. Mr Wilkinson suggested that the House would heartily agree, to preference to British goods ana the list ought "to be -extended. The present schedule only applied to apparel. American imports of hosiery since the war began had increased twe my fold Large quantities of American motor tyres came in free, but if prehrence were given to British tyres iho) could be obtained. Mr Poole (}\X'\v attention to Australia's prohibition of the importation of luxuries, including spirits, confectionery and furs. New Zealand ought to follow suit. Mr Harris sajd r t|tat charging preferential duty on such'articles as ribbons, laces and artihnal flowers, wnu-n were not made in England, gave no real preference to English manufacturers. If increased revenue was required the Minister of Finance was going on right lines. , e . . Mr Payne and-Mr Webb protested against the workers being penalised by the increased Customs tariff. Sir Joseph Ward pointed out that the Bill before the House was not intended to deal with the preferential question at all. As soon as the war was over New Zealand, in common with other parts of the Empire, was asked to go into the .question of preferential considerations in order to protect tee country against our enemies in future, but at present that aspect was not being dealt with. The- first object of the Bill was to remove an anomaly over silk, secondly to ensure os increase in old ago, widows', military and miners' pneumoconiosis pensions. Mr Harris: Pensioners will have to pay 5s extra for their hats. Sir Joseph Ward: If a person objects to do this for such a. good object he should join the hatless brigade. As to the objection to increase Customs revenue the blouse should compare New Zealand with Canada, which raised onethird of its revenue by the Customs tariff. Sir Joseph explained in connection with the amendment to the Regulation of Trade and Commerce Act dealing with refunds to purchasers of tea increased in price without having paid the threepence duty that no matter whether the purchase was wholesale or retail the purchaser could demand a refund. (Hear, hear.) Mr Wilkinson said that the same sort of exploitation was being done with cigarettes. Sir Joseph Ward replied that there were certain difficulties in connection with cigarettes which prevented action at present. He went on to say that he had been advised by the Crown Law Office that in the case of any tea imported after August 1 the onus of proof that duty had been paid would be f-ix the importer, who must show that he had paid duty to enable him to recoup himself by charging the additional price. Sir Joseph Ward added that the Bill did not affect the* future settlement of any articles regarding Customs tariff when the time came for settlement. The Bill passed nil its stages without further discussion. THE RESOLUTIONS. [Per Press Association.l WELLINGTON. August 14. The following are the resolutions agreed to by the House of Representatives this afternoon authorising the following preferential surtax on the undermentioned goods, not being the produce or manufacture of the British dominions:— All articles n.0.0. ruado of textile felt, or other piece goods, or of any combination of the same wholly or partly made up or or clothing 1 either wholly or partly made up; drapery n.0.e.; ftejs; haberdashery n.0.e.; lace and lac»s n.0.e.; ribbons and crape- of all kinds; rug:! l , woollen, cotton, opossum, or other; textile piece goods n.0.e.. including silks, satin a, velvets, pluehes n.0.e., composed of pure silk or of silk mixed with any other material in 'ho piece, and including also imitation silks composed of any material or wibstaiic* whatsoever; umbrellas, parasols and sunihados; yarns n.o.e pex cent ad valorem. Apparel and ready-made clothing n.0.e.; leathers, ornamental (including ostrich); artificial flowers, leaves and sprays; furs And fur trimming's; hats' of a.U kinds (including straw hats), .*Uso caps; hosiery n.0.e.; millinery of all kinds, including trimmed hats, caps and bonnets—l2J per tent ad valorem. Apparel made to the order or measurement of residents •in New Zealand, and intended for tin individual use of such residents, whether imported by the residents themselves or otherwise; apparel, viz., volunteer clothing mad? to measurements sent fro n. New Zealand—2o per cent ad valorem. It was also resolved that the rnte of duty on cigars, snuff and cigarettes

manufactured in Ivpw Zealand, a 8 im« posed by a resolution from the Committee of "Ways aud Means, dated August 1, 1917 be revoked as from that date and that; duty be paya,ble ojj cigars, srmff and cigarettes manufao tured in New Zealand; if so manufactured and entered for home consumption after August 1, 1917, a.s follows:Per lb. s. d, (h) On cigars and snuff . .40 (b) On cigarettes if manufactured by machinery . . . 3 S On cigarettes if made br hand . 2 0 Provided that if the manufacture of cigars and snuff containing less than 7-5 per cent of tobacco grown in New Zealand becomes, in the opinion of the Minister, at any time hereafter detri< mental to the revenue, the ■ GovernorGeneral may, by Order-in-Council, fix the maximum quantity of 6uch cigar* and snuff that may be made annually by any manufacturer at the aforesaid rata of 4s the pound, and may prescribe a rate of duty not exceeding 6s 6d the pound upon all cigars and snu® made in excess of such maximum quflfis tity.