A CUSTOMS CONCESSION

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2155, 22 May 1914, Page 8

A CUSTOMS CONCESSION

DTJTX ON SLIPPERS. Ths Minister of Customs (the Hon. F, M, B, Fisher) informed a reporter yesterday that under the new Customs Act, whusb had just been brought into force, itrMvould be possible to giva some relief in the- matter of the duty upon those cheap slippers which havo "hitherto had to pay extortionate rates of duty, amounting in gome- cases to 115 per cent, or upwards, on tho value of tho goods. It is U'lt to be a ver t v great anomaly that any difference in duty should exist between slippers having carpet, twine, -or felt soles, and uppers of fait, and other slippers with Arctic cloth tippers and soles of fibre, linoleum or carpet pi' other textile.

It- has therefore ten decided' that on and after- February 1, 19i5/-ali. slippers" having uppers composed solely of felt, Arctic cloth, imitation camel hair, carpet, canvas, loofah, velvet, woven fibre, cloth, or textile, and having rope, loofah, twine, fibre, linoleum, carpet, or textile soles, and having mo leather in their composition, with tlio exception of a licet stifiener, which may be leather or other material, shall bo admitted at a duty of 22} per edit., 011 the same footing as slippers of felt. The object of bringing tho concession into force in February next year- is to give, importers time to clear their stocks.