SOUTH AFRICAN MAIZE.

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 15272, 23 June 1923, Page 5

SOUTH AFRICAN MAIZE.

LATEST MEWS

<, PROPOSED DUMPING DUTY. REPRESENTATIONS TO MINISTERS. UNSYMPATHETIC REPLY. United Press Association. Received June 23, 11.30 a.m. SYDNEY, June 23. A meeting of merchants passed a resolution requesting the Prime Minister to cancel the dumping duty on maize or to exempt contracts already made. The Graziers’ Association has also sent a protest against the duty to Mr Chapman, as it would be prejudicial to slock owners, the drought not being sufficiently broken to obvjatc the necessity for hand-feeding. MELBOURNE, June 23. Hon. A. Chapman (Federal Minister for Customs), replying to Sydntry protests against the maize duty, said the Australian farmers had been placed at a disadvantage owing to competition by South African maize, grown by black labour. In consequence of the freight reduction it cost less to ship maize from South Africa to Australia than to bring local maize to the market. When relaxing the law during the height of the drought he warned intending importers that any orders placed in South Africa would bo at their own risk, especially when operations were of a speculative character. At the time South African maize-was sold locally at 6s Gd to 7s per bushel, and it was now ss. The Tariff Board had advised that South African maize was being dumped to the extent of 4d per bushel, hence the necessity for a dumping duty.