INDUSTRIES COMMITTEE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 179, 24 April 1919, Page 6

INDUSTRIES COMMITTEE

i , THE MANUFACTURE OF.FUENI- - J . . TUBE. ' i'... & ; ' By Telegraph—Press Association. ;' Auckland, April 23. I Before the Parliamentary Industries I -Committee, P. N. Andrews, representing ;. ;tlie Furniture. Manufacturers' Associaj v -tion,j asked that a preferential duty of ; -per cent, on foreign-made furniture ! should be doubled. The present duty on i s "British-made furniture (25 per cent.) was ! generally sufficient in' his opinion, except ' possibly in regard to cheap chairs. At : present there wae no large uhair-making ;'• ' : industry in New Zealand, and no coup [ .'petition with the cheap foreign article. '' He thought that the Government should '.'■■ do,something to encourago the output of , ■ chairs of this class. He understood there : ■ was suitable timber (beech) in tho South I Island. Hβ would also suggest; that the ■ committee inquire into the most suitable timber for the making of three-ply ' veneer, whioh was already produced in ; tie Dominion, but as now made it was i not entirely satisfactory. . Another mats' ter L was the duty'on velvet, moauette, '' tapestry" and other woollen and mohair i materials used only for 'upholstering. :■' These were' raw materinls in' the furni- ! ture trade, and he thought that they ! should come in duty free. Something i ought to be dqne to restrict the export i of kauri and riinu to.'Australia, because i the price of both.these timbers was be- ; coming unduly high. -