MANUFACTURERS COMPLAIN.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20100, 2 December 1930, Page 11

MANUFACTURERS COMPLAIN.

PREFERENCE TO BRITAIN. HAT FIRM CLOSES DOWN. [THE PBES3 Special SerTice.J AUCKLAND, December 1The position of local manufacturers who imported their raw materials under a heavy tariff, and whose finished product was sold in competition with that of British makers whoa® materials were imported into the United Kingdom free of tax, and whose product came into New Zealand at a low preferential rate, was discussed at a meeting of the Council of the Auckland Manufacturers' Association. The question was raised by a letter from a hat-making firm in Auckland, which forwarded correspondence which had- been sent to the Hon. J. G-. Cobbe, Minister for Industries and Commerce, on November 27th. "We regret we have to inform you that we are closing down our risetory on Novemfc- sltv • 5 *iri letter to the Mi ; 'W' e reluctantly compelled ... ihii ••••nirs* on account of t'j-.- -,(i« hicfi . exist as regards *>?• •" sfcoess which we have t our i™' f-or- "" tations, nnd of i jmfavr • "repetition from Bnp-lani u .d ic«- Continent. These matters tu»ve out to you on man? oc--asions. a art. have been just ignored. J tlist j have now reached the "Dominion a Dump:.'.* • "ronr.J." After referring to a r-r >:ct« communication sent o r - iSepi.--> \b<?i i-ith. 1928, the letter sta.v»s: •> people'# and the country's v.- If are to fasno one's business. V'c- s d*!finite statement that tbo Custo;: 3 .point a. revolver at the vorker's batvh and say to him that Tie-vi j hell have a job until your employer pays j per cent, duty on Lis raw materia'-' This very raw mater:.".l yoss into England duty free, and ones hero made into hats, on which ihero is only * 27 per cent. duty. "On top of this, ail hats made in England are made of foreign raw material, and come out here as British, manufactures. Under the preferential duty. New Zealand is the dumpingground of the universe. Italy is paying a bounty of lo per cent, on all hats exported." Anomalies in Tariff. "There is a lot of truth in what the firm has written," remarked Mr A. C. Allum. "There are certain anomalies in tha tariff," said Mr C. B. Plummer. "There is one class of raw material on which the duty is 52J per cent.; but I think that that duty waa designed to apply to foreign goods. Taking 25 per cent, as the basis, the English, i manufacturer gets his raw materials in free, and senas them out here under a 20-i>er cent. duty. Dumping comes into the question also. At "the and of the winter or summer season at Home, a quantity of goods are here, and that does not help. r ' manufacturers' position is really rather serious." . "The question of the -British preferential tariff, and the duty on raw materials, is a very serious one, ' remarked Mr W. Parkinson. "I nava no doubt that this has been affecting all our industries." The president, Mr George Finn, suggested that the matter of tariffs ' should be referred to the executive, with a view to its approaching the Government, and this was agreed to.