THE NEW TARIFF.

West Coast Times, Issue 324, 6 October 1866, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE NEW TARIFF.

(FROM THE liYTTELTON TIMES.)

The telegraph has enabled the Commissioner of v Customs to publish the schedule of the new duties simultaneously throughout the colony. On former, occasions similar news has been , known to leak out, and travel from Auckland to Dunedin,- calling in at the various ports" a little before the Government despatches mado their appearance. Of course, such irregularity was very L mischievous', as it enabled unscrupulous speculators to take advantage of their more ignorant fellow tradesmen, by operating upon tbe knowledge they had , acquired. On Friday last the telegraph was occupied exclusively by the Government to convey to the officials and the public journals the particulars of the important changes that have been effected in the tariff, ond though some inconvenience was sustained by the detention and delay of private messages, the Government deserve the thanks of the community for taking' the most, effective way of giving immediate and simultaneous publicity to this important intelligence.

As it is probable that some impression has been produced upon a portion of the public by the vague statements of Ministers that they intended to reduce the Customs duties as a set-off against the Stamp tax, we may as well at once disabuse these confiding persons of any such idea. The Commissioner of Customs believes that the full estimated revenue will be raised by the ne^y tariff. Most people who have had time to consider the question think that it will realise a good deal more. A close examination will satisfy the most unprejudiced person that an increase of taxation is again about to.be effected, and tfyit the main- portion of that increase will be saddled upon this island.

In some important respects the new tariff is a great improvement upon the old one. The authors of the former tariff in their effort to be simple, fell into the dangerous error >of obscurity. In this way articles of totally different

character and value were included under one heading, and it sometimes was difficult to decide under what particular title many kinds of goods could be included, or whether they were really dutiable or npt. A great dcal,j)f comparatively valueless merchandise thus became taxed at more than its cost price,- and different interpretations and readings of the act became common .in the several ports of the colony. Hence arose endless disputes between the merchants and the Government, entailing ~ much troubles and ill-feeding whicli might easily have been avoided. The new schedule "will , obviate this' difficulty by the amplitude of its details. No doubt, mistakes and omissions will be found to have been made, and there will be plenty of work for some time both for agents and clerks, but it cannot be doubted that certainty of information ♦will be an ap-' preciable benefit both to the Customs department and to 'the merchant. Some slight indication appears 1 on the part of tbQ framers of the schedule of an intention to discriminate between articles of necessity and luxury in favor of the former. For instance, we notice that blankets, vugs, and working men's boots are admitted at lower rates than other woollen goods, and the finer kinds , of boots and shoes. Agricultural and other machinery, as /well "as steam engines, are made free of duty. On the other hand, silks and velvets are charged a little higher than formerly, and a tax is put upon carriages, plate, jewelry, and clocks. But the changes are so slight, as hardly to shW any fixed purpose in this direction. ' Indeed* some articles of necessity are now ta^jed for the first time? and some of pure luxury, such, as wine/are reduced.

The greatest change in the way of reduction is in the class of goods known" as oilmen's stores. Many of these arc of very small value, and had borne an almost prohibitive duty. On the least valuable the duty has been reduced from five shillings to one shilling a foot. On the greater . part the reduction has been one half of the former rate. This reduction must be considered as an answer to the protests forwarded to the Government from the' several Chambers of Commerce within the colony.

A very large number of articles is now' made • dutiable, which befofe escaped free. Among these are some which are mainly, if not exclusively, used in this island. Duties more or less onerous are riow to he levied on. sheepwash tobacco, wire-fencing 1 woolpacks, corn sacks, spirits of tar and turpentine, and -timber. The duty on sheepwash tobacco is enormously heavy — twentj'-five per ''cent, on the cost — and is altogether unwarrantable The General Government already absorbs, without the shadow of right, the immense fines we levy upon our sheep farmers for the purpose of eradicating scab, and now it puts an almost prohibitive tax upon the article most needful to cure that disease. The probable effect will be to drive sheepwash tobacco out of use, and substitute some of the dipping mixtures conunonlj' xiscrt in Australia, The duties on woolpacks and corn sacks arc in reality export duties on the produce of this island. Farmers will now have to pay about fifteen per cent, more for their bales and sacks than heretofore. This island exports nine-tenths of the wool and grain grown in New Zealand : it will, therefore, contribute just ninetenths of ihis new tax. Exactly the same explananation applies to fencing wire, spirits of tar, and- turpentine, and timber. Both Wellington and Auckland are large timber-producing and exporting countries. Canterbury and Otago have to import nearly every foot they use. It is evident, therefore, which part of the colony will contribute most to the timber .duties.

On the whole, as far as the explanation of the former mysteries of the tariff is concerned, we think Mr llichmond has conferred a benefit on the colony. ,The minor changes and redactions have also been conceived in a fair and equitable spirit. The larger and ''more important additions to the tariff must have'been arranged with the distiuct purpose of shielding the North Islilnd. from any fair share of the burden, and imposing it upon the shoulders of that patient Isaachar — the Middle Island.