The Tariff Commission Report.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 27, 31 July 1895, Page 3

The Tariff Commission Report.

_— — o — ■ SUGGESTED REDUCTION OF OVER £100,000. (Per Press Association.) Wellington, July 20. The report of the Tariff Commission •with, evidence attached, was laid on the table of the House after the delivery of the Financial Statement to-night. The Commission submitted an amended Tariff, in which they made distinction between the articles which might be described as luxuries, and articles of necessity with a view to bringing the former under the highest rates of duty and the latter under the lowest. The rate of duty recommended was on articles of bamboo manufacture, which are chiefly imported from Japan. In the soft goods line certain articles of daily use were recommended for admission duty free, constituting a relief to the purchasing public of nearly £200,000. The suggested reduction of 2d per lb on tea meant a remission of L 35.000 in duty. The suggested reduction of one half of the present rate on kerosene meant a remission of LIB.OOO, and the suggestion to admit fencing wire free of duty was equivalent to a reduction of L 14,000. The duty of LI per head upon horses and 10s per head upon cattle was re- j commended. Altogether the reductions recommended in the various items amounted to L 101,707, but such reductions were balanced as nearly as possible by an increase made on articles of luxury. To those the Hon J. McKenzie submitted a dissentient report. ||The report and evidence form a bulky document of about five hundred pages.