TARIFF PROTEST.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20360, 18 July 1934, Page 7

TARIFF PROTEST.

Gas Companies to Interview Minister To-morrow.

With the object of protesting against the tariff proposals as they affect gas companies, a deputation representing all the companies in New Zealand will wait on the Minister of Customs (the Hon J. G. Coates), to-morrow morning at 11.30 o’clock in Wellington, said the secretary cf the Christchurch Gas, Coal and Coke Company (Mr YV. E. Rogers) to-day. The tariff proposals provide for the abolition cf the 20 per cent Customs duty on electric cooking and heating appliances, while no provision has been made, for gas stoves, which are subject to 25 per cent duty. “ We are not afraid of competition, and welcome it, but when you find a subsidy thrown at your competitors in this wav it is unreasonable, to say the least,” said Mr Rogers. “ Equality of treatment is all w’e want. Both classes of cookers, electric and gas, are manufactured in New Zealand, and there can be no reason in equity or justice for the differential treatment. It is also proposed to put a duty of 10 per cent on gas meters.” Company’s Activities.

Last year his company had paid £58,000 in salaries and wages and employed 250 people, said Mr Rogers. They used over 30.000 tons of New Zealand coal and paid the railways £27,000 in freight, while in direct taxation they paid just on £15,000. This represented lOd per 1000 cubic feet which ultimately the consumers had to pay.

The manufacturers of electrical appliances were in accord with the gas companies in their pretest, as they realised that if electrical appliances were allowed in free their chances of selling their own goods would be small, as the public, if given the chance to buy cheaper goods than those manufactured locally, would do so. He understood that electrical interests were also going to protest. The workers employed by gas companies also realised the danger and were forwarding a signed letter cf protest to individual members of Parliament. They realised, in many cases, that their employment was at stake and were determined to do everything in their power to further their own interests.

It appeared that the gas industry, which was a very large employer of local labour, both directly and indirectly, and which contributed heavily by direct taxation to the revenue of the Dominion, was to be squeezed in the interests of State communal enterprises, which contributed practically nothing to the revenue, either through the Customs or by income-tax.