CUSTOMS TARIFF

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 146, 16 March 1921, Page 5

CUSTOMS TARIFF

BREAD AND TIMBER PRICES. A meeting of representatives of the Wellington Trades and Labour Council and Labour Representation', Committee will be held at the Trades Hall, Vivian Street, to-night for the purpose of considering questions concerning tariff revision. Among the matters to be considered by tho meeting will be tJiat of file = Tt7crease in the price of bread, and a proposal will be put forward in . the way of urging that flour from Australia should be admitted to New Zealand only free. "It has been claimed that bread and bulter—staple articles for working class people—are the cheapest foods we can have,” remarked a member of tho Trades Council yesterday. "That was so when these things wore cheap, but it cannot be said that they are cheap now. They are both dearer than I can ever remember. The price of bread will come down if Australian flour is admitted free of duty.”

The meeting will also give consideration to the position regarding timber. "If building mnter’ol generaly goes up In price, it will simply moan that building will ho curtailed.” declared another member of tho Trade,” Council. "A rise in tho price of timber was sanctioned recently, but in my opinion there was no justification for the increase, because last year more timber was produced 'n the Dominion than has ever been the case previously. Tn 1918, 158,000,000 feet of timber ’•-•ere cut, and for the year ended March 31. 1929. the Intel amount cut was 296,999,909 feet. To mo it scorns tJhat close on 100.000,000 feet has l>een lying about somewhere, and has never been put on the market. So, why the Increase In price P”