COMMERCIAL.
I THE NEW VICTORIAN TARIFF. Writing on August lOfch, tho Melbourne correspondent of tho " Otago Daily Times" makes tho following references to tho rearrangement of tho Victorian tariff: — Wo have a new tariff in force now, the third during tho present year. First wo had tho old tariff, which hud been in force since 1805 ; then in May a new one was brought in by Mr Francis, and although the M'Culloch Government went out on its provisions, the duties it imposed have been ever sinco collected ; and now wo have tho protective tariff introduced by Mr Berry. The treasurer in his speech at re-election promised, on bohalf of the administration, to establish a tariff (( as simple and complete as possible," and which, while affording adequate protection to some industries, would do so " in such a way as to inflict tho least injiuy, or rather, causo the least embarrassment to commerce." Mr Berry gives effect to this promise by producing a list of import duties quite as voluminous as that brought iw by Mr Francis, and tho only effort i at simplification visible is by substituting two scales of ad valorem duties for tho threo of Mr Francis. Instead of 7s, 10, and 12J- per cent duties, ho has only 10 and 20 per cent classes. The 20 per cent class includes all articles of clothing, all articles of furniture and of domestic uso, tools, ironmongery in all its shapes. Tho goods comprised within this group, which have a fifth added to their price, are all articles of daily necessity, and necessity pretty much to all orders of people alike. The ten per cent list includes auch articles of luxury as silkp, watches and clocks, glass, chinawaro, porcelain, perfumery and plated ware, and although many of the goods it comprises arc matfcci'3 of utility, as a whole the division of tho tariff is scarcely objectionable. A 10s per ton duty is imposed on potatoes. Tho result of these imposts, as anticipated by ! the treasurer, is a yield of a revenue from the customs of £1,570,000, of which ho expects £230,000 from the increased duties. The expenditure is estimated at £3,447,080, and his aggregate revenue at £3,538,750.
COMMERCIAL.
Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3286, 25 August 1871, Page 2
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