BEATING THE TARIFF.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1671, 11 February 1913, Page 6

BEATING THE TARIFF.

MATTER FOR TRADE OF EMPIRE COMMISSION. ' At yesterday's meeting of the council of the Chamber of Commerce tho following letter was received from Mr. Malcolm Ross, New Zealand oificer for the Trade of Empire Royal Commission:— "It lias been brought under my notice that there is a probable curtailment of tho benefit of prclereutlal tariff treatment given by' New Zealand on goods of British manufacture by reason of tho port of origin of shipments being often undisclosed. For'instanco, it is stated that Continental shipments ore m ade to London in the first instance, and then to tho overseas Dominions, such goodß being treated as shipped from England, and. thus getting preferential treatment, to which they arc not entitled. The order of refercnco of tlio Commission excludes the tariff but this seems to be a matter not of the desirability or otherwise of the establishment of a preferential tariff, but of whether or not our own neoplo are to liavo the full benefit of existing preference. I shall bo obliged, if your Chamber can give its views and any suggestions it may. have to moke on the subject, so that I may at least'bring the matter under tho notice of tho Commission. The question of preferential treatment given to fireign . manufacturers by our own shipping companies may also be worthy of your attention in connection with the memorandum which you are submitting to the Commission. It is'alleged tlint certain of tho companies give a preference to Continental goods as against British goods, tho through Continental freight charges from- Hamburg and' Antwerp to New Zealand main ports, being • in many instances much lower than from London to Now Zealand. If this is, tho. case, it would have tho effect of nullifying or minimising' the advantages given to British manufacturers under the existing preferential tariff. I. hope to havo your memorandum on these, and other subjects already discussed between ub at as early a date as possible, seeing that tho Commission will soon be hero, and it will be , necessary to, have copies of it mado for tho individual Commissioners and for the staff," . .1

Other matters concerning the giving of evidence before the Itoyal Commission were also 1 discussed, and it was resolved that the whole matter bo referred to a sub-committee consisting of : Messrs. A. E. Mab(n„ G. Shirtcliffe.A. Leigh Hunt, T. C. Dawson, and Jas. M'Lellan to'tako tho wholo matter in hand, and arrange what matters are to be touched,upon in, evidence.' , ■ I>, •• ' ....