THE INDUSTRIES COMMITTEE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXVI, Issue 17553, 24 April 1919, Page 5

THE INDUSTRIES COMMITTEE

(Per Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, April 2 3

Before the Parliamentary Industries Committee Mr F. N. Andrews, representing the Furniture Manufacturers' Asociation, asked that a pre-r ferential duty of 12 Y 2 per cent on foreign made furniture should be doubled. The present duty on British made furniture (25 per cent) was generally sufficient, in his opinion except possibly in regard to cheap chairs. At present there was no large chair making industry in New Zealand, and no competition with the cheap foreign article. He thought tb,at the Government should do something to encourage the output of chairs, of this class. He understood there was suitable timber (beech) in the South Island. He would also sug-. gest that the Committee inquire into, the most suitable timbers for the making of three-ply veneer, which was already produced in the Dominion but, as now made, was not entirely satisfactory. Another matter was the, duty on velvet, moquette, tapestry and other woollen and mohair materials used only for upholstery. These were raw materials in the furniture trade and he thought that they should coma mi duty free. Something ought to be done to re>strict the export of kauri and rimu to Australia because the price of both these timbers was becoming . unduly high.