AMERICA FAVOURED

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2620, 16 November 1915, Page 6

AMERICA FAVOURED

BY OUR TARIFF. A complaint that the recent alterations in the New Zealand tariff, have penalised the British, manufacturer while-.favouring the Americans ' was brought before the Auckland Chamber of Commerce its meeting on Friday afternoon. ~ - A letter tfas received from Messrs. F. D. Woodroffe and Co., pointing out that tho opwation of tlie new tariff on British niojor-cycles! and. engines ; had practically (done' away wit'h' the preference by tlie duty rates to- British; engines and cycles over, the American /articles. The writers, giving instances,; sa ' c ' that the duty paid on a six horse-power American motorcycle under the bid t-'arifr"was over £11; but und.'?.r the new tariff it is £9. On a simila'r British machine the duty originally was £3 165.; now it is £6'l6s. Thus the American machine had benefited in /competition with the English manufacture to the 'extent of- between £5 and £6 per machine, as compared with the conditions existing a few jnontlis ago. The new position created by the tariff 'jn the importation of internal combustion, stationary, and marine engines was equally unsatisfactory. Tlie chairman said that tho Dominion was importing much too largely from the United States. The balance of Now Zealand's trade with America was heavily in favour of the United States, and this traffic therefore, from patriotic motives, as well as for business reasons, {Siould be restricted in every possible way. There was every reason for a substantial increase in duty being imposed'on'all foreign goods; to tax only .British goods seemed strangely unpatriotic. He' suggested that tlie matter lie brought under the notice of the Minister of Finance. After some discussion, it was decided to ask the chairman to bring tho matter before the executive of tho Associated Chambers of Commerce at a mooting in - Wellington this week.