HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 77, 27 September 1895, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2 80. The House went into Committee of Ways and Means, when the following resolutions, imposing duties of five per cent on machinery, were brought down : (1) That in lien of the duties imposed and exemptions created in respect of the nnderufentioned articles by the " Customs and Excise Duties Act, 1886," of any pre vious reduction of this House the said articles shall be subject to a duty of five per cent ad valorem on and after the 27th of September, 1895 :— Machinery for dairying purposes (including separators and coolers) ; machinery for agricultural purposes including chaffcuttere, corn crushers, corn shelters ; also, articles used manufacturing same, namely, chaff-cut-ting knives, tilt rakes fittings for threshing mills, forgings for ploughs, but excluding ! reapers and binders ; printing machines and presses ; machinery of everj description for tnininc purposes, including machine pumps, but excluding machinery for gold saving purposes and processes ; machinery tor flour mills, woollen mills, paper mills, rope and twine making, dredging, sawmilling, planing and woodworking (including lathes), oil refining, boring, and also machinery for refrigerating or preserving me%t; soda water machines, also machines for aerating liquids; machinery for stamping and blocking tin ; portable engines on four wheels with bci'ers of locomotive type also traction engines. (2). That the) undermentioned articles shall be exempt from Customs duty on and from the twenty-seventh day of Scp tembr, 1895 :—Reapers and binder?, materials for manufacturing agricultural machinery, namely, reaper knife sections, fingers, brass and steel springs, malleable casting*, discs for harrows, mould board plates, steel chare plates cut to pattern, skeith plates ; separators and coolers for dairying purposes. Provide that except where specifically mentioned neither steam engines nor parts of steam engines nor boilers (land or marine) shall be deemed to be machinery or machines within the meaning of this resolution. In reply to Mr Carncross the Hon Mr Wnrd 6.aid he had exempted certain classes of machinery, in consequence of which the tax would yield only about £4,500 instead of £6,000 as stated last evening. Paper ruling and paper cutting guillotine machines were included in the five per cent duty. Mutton birds were struck out of the freo list and charged a duty of twenty percent. Mowing machines and extra parts for reapers and binders, mould boards, plough snares and plough rests were added to the free list. AH machinery for agricultural purposes " not otherwise enumerated " was placed under the five per cent doty. The resolutions as amended were then reported to the House, and referred to Committee on the Customs Bill. The Hon. Mr Ward moved that the Customs and Excise Duties Bill be recommitted for the purpose of reconsidering certain schedules and duties of 5 per cent, on machinery. In reply to Mr J. W. Kelly, Mr Ward stated that Government had no intention of again bringing up the question of an increased duty on packet tea for consideration. A motion by Mr G. J. Smith, that the Bill be also recommitted for the purpose of striking out turkey twills from the duty of 20 per cent., was lost by 34 to 26. Mr Allen moved for the recommittal of the clause which provided that no refund of duties should be made.—Lost by 42 to 15. The Bill was then recommitted. Mr Duthie moved bis new clause to provide for the appointment of a board of six persons to assist and advise the Commissioner of Customs. Mr Ward opposed the clause, and said it would be a mistake to set up a board of this nature. He pointed out that no appeal had been made to the Court from a single decision given whilst he bad been commissioner. —The clause was rejected by 43 to 13. The five per cent, machinery proposals were added to the Bill, and the other amendments agreed to in Committee of Ways and Means were inserted in the Bill. Mr Larnacb moved that machinery of every description for mining purposes be struck out from the 5 per cent. duty. Mr Seddoa said this duty was necessary for revenue purposes, although as a goldfields representative he was anxious to encourage that industry as much as possible. The motion was lost by 82 to 27. The Bill was then reported with amendments, wbicb were agreed to. On the motion for the tbird reading, Capt. Rnsseil said be thought the Colonial Treasurer would have taken it upon himself to explain the Bill. He did not believe there was a member in the House, not even the Colonial Treasurer himself who nnderstoood the Bill. The tariff was simply a cold rehash of the tariff of 1888, and it had nothing in it from beginning to end to recommend it. Nobody was satisfied with it, not even the Colonial Treasurer himself. The debate on the third reading of the Customs? and Excise Duties Bill was continued throughout tbe evening, the speakers being Captain Russell, Messrs Seddon, Thos. McKenzie, Buchanan, Morrison, Dutbie, Mills, O'Regan, and O. W. Russell. Mr Ward did not exercise his right of replyiug. The tbird reading was carried by 28 to 8 and tbe Bill passed. Tbe House rose at 1.40 a.m.