AUSTRALIAN TOBACCO

Waipa Post, Volume 32, Issue 1786, 24 July 1926, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN TOBACCO

CQNSXWPTIQNi, ■' ■[Evidence, ,ln ( .'support of a case for encouragement of the Australian . to-bacco-growing industry /is being prepared for submission to the Tariff Board: 1 ■ i *'* i ) ’?Everv year s an enormous sum ofmoney’is’spent'djy Australian smokers ori American.-raw, jtobaqco, worked up into packets in Australia. Cultivators see no< reason why,. given ; s,ußicient inducement in the way of remunerative prices,:, tke; bulk^if,s,nqt,,„the .whole, • 0f.,, the tobacco requirements of Australia should not be produced Tfly’tjhiq coumtty, with its great diversity of soils. a meeting of growers- at Vj7angaratta lately, Mr R. Cook,, M,P., stated. .Jhat, thq output .of, gr'own tobacco had decreased by one•half since 1889. The duty on imported leaf, stemmed, Vas* '2s •6d ’per tb; ! ’on uhstemmed, 2s per lb; and.on maniifa’ctured, 5s -. 4d per. lb; the;,excise on both local and/imported, tobacco; being i2& 4d per lb. '[The, percentage of,, leaf itSed in ’ domestic consumption had fallen during the last four years from 14 per cent to 6 per cent. In the last six years 1 the people 1 of the'Commonwealth had sent abroa 1 £14,800,000 for imported leaf, the bulk of “which could have been produced in Australia. If the Australian .leaf, as stated, was,-not np to the, consumer’s standard, the Government should, order an investigation into the cause, or causes by .scientists. , • "•<[ The‘bearing; of the application by:tire : •Tariff Board - will - commence' shortly,' when Victoria and New Soush Wales submit evic^nce v<^- v to the,., cost of .production. The'datteiy.-Jhvour : a'bounty-; in Victoria the growers have, been urged to seek a reduction in ex-cisSrGiven^Sffidienrln'dueement-.'-liow" Avoiii'd greatly ’immigration - and settlement, a good living being obtainable from six acres of suitable land.