PARLIAMENTARY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2182, 11 September 1907, Page 4

PARLIAMENTARY.

Press Association. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.'in. li: >DU NilS I>lN i BILL. Mr. v Arnol«l moved the adoption of the Select. Committee’s report on the Dunedin Suburban Glis Co.’s Empowering Bill, which was ngreod to. THE TARIFF. 'The House went into Committee on the Tar:!:' Bill. 1) AIR VINO AND MINING MACHINERY. The amendment- lo place boilers or pants thcrovor for steam engines for ■mining, including gold-dredging or gald-saring purposes and processes, o'.- l„r da.rymg p,u poses on the 5 per cent, list, was further debated. Mr. Millar reiterated his previous remarks that 20 per cent, wlas placed on these boilers in order to grant assistance to local boilermakers. He contend; d t hat these boilers could be made localiv, and whilst local boilermakers were not fully engaged on large boilers they (amid fill in their time in making small boiler's for tbdrying purposes. He hoped the coimmbititee would not carry the amendment. Air. Hermes believed the boiler industry was prospering in the colony, but if it was in such a languishing position that it needed a 20 per cent, protection, the question was whether i.t was worth retaining the industry. The Premier said the total duty paid on boilers for dairying purposes last vear wus £52 10s, yet it was being claimed that the dairying industry was being penalised, and nothing wins being done for it. In regard to will at was being done for the benefit of the dairy industry, lie need only say that- ’the tax on imported butter was neprly £l4 Os per ton. The total duty paid on boilers imported for the mining industry last year was £l3 15s. and yet it was claimed that ,if created a duty would seriously handicap the mining industry. He added that £BOOO per annum was bein.w paid for inspection of dairies. Air. M-illar said the tax on the dairy industry under the new schedule was based on the previous year s imports. It would only be about £2OO. Air. Massey said if there was a duty of 50 per cent, on butter it would not affect the price of butter to the extent of a farthing per lb. He contended that the principle ot ■the tax proposed to be placed on the dairying and mining industries was bad, because they were the two principal industries of the colony. Ho added that the effect of inspection in the dairy industry would be to drive many men out of the industry. Tiie Premier contended that the duties on butter and wlient were originally placed for the purpose of protecting these industries. He believed that a leading representative of the dairy industry had expressed himself ns satisfied with the duty placed on boilers. He added that Government inspection of dairies was first proposed by a Air. Alassey in the North. He did not say it was the Leader of the Opposition. Air. Hardy: There is only one Massey. • The Premier: Then it must have been him. ,Alr. Hornsby regretted Air. Alassev’s remarks on the expenditure for dairy inspection. He (Air. Honislby) represented a dairying district, and couhl say that AVli ira rap a dairymen, at any rate, welcomed the Atinister’s proposal, which would greatly benefit ■the industry. ,Alr. Izard said the dairymen themselves approved of the tariff, and it was useless to talk against the proposal. He could only endorse Air. Hornsby’s remark that if inspection of dairies was going to drive farmers out of the industry, then “leit ’em go.” Air. Stevens said he still held blie opinion that implements for dairy purposes should be on the free list, but after concessions that had been granted, amounting in some cases to 80 per cent, on the original proposals, he did not think the farmers in bis electon.ite would take exception to the reasonable tax for purposes of protecting local industries. He urged that 20 per cent, more should be added to the price paid by the Crown to owners of diseased cattle destroyed by order of the' Crown in the interests of the colony. Air. Guinness said wliat he objected to on behalf of the mining and dairying industries was that the increased duty of 15 per cent, duty liud been imposed. Surely it could not be argued that the increase was for the purpose of protecting the boilermaking industry, when it was clearly shown by the Premier that the number of boilers imported was so small that the total duty was £C6, and ■they could not say the duty was for revenue purposes, as the amounts were so small. He added that it could not be required for revenue purposes, whilst they had a surplus of three-quarters of a million. It would only he a drop in the bucket. Air. Hainan said lie could understand the opposition to the tariff if it was going to cripple the mining or dairying industry, but it was not going :o do tlvisj -ancl for that reason he was going to support the tariff. •Mr. Reid said he thought the proper thing to have done was to leave boilers on the 5 per cent, list as previously, as they were so little imported. Air. Lewis said the effect of the duty would bo to impose on the dairying and mining industries an additional 15 per cent, on all boilers. Air. Duncan said there was a feeling among farmers an d . daii ymen that this was the first attempt to exploit <*hem, and the result would be thait a reaction would take place. The Premier said Air. Duncan must have shut his eyes to what the Government had done for dairymen and farmers. He asked how i-t was that numbers of members representing dairying districts had not received any communications from their constituents opposing the Government’s tariff proposals? He added that the Government blul to consider the workers and their families, who bad not the advantage of being on | the Lind, and to provide for these it was necessary to grant assn stance to local industries by giving nroteotion against imported -articles. Air. Oke.v said he could produce scores of telegrams from dairy factories iu bis electorate, asking him to vote against the duty. He asserted I that there was no need for dairy in- I .spection whilst they were producing such high-class butter as the colony was exporting. He added that farmers had not asked for the duty on butter, as they couhl do without It. In fact, they could make at 4,}d per lb : and lie contended that not a single .pound of butter bad ever been imported. The Premier pointed out that butter had been imported to the colony from Ireland and Australia. Air. Fisher seiicl it seemed to him I that the mining and dairying industries bad been fostered to’an exceedingly high degree. He added that boilers could not be made as cheaply as in England. Continuing, he said that the city of Wellington ]i ad to I pay twice as much duty on boilers imported for electric light purposes. I us, for instance, the directors of the M'ailii Gold-mining Co. liven if the 5 per cent, amendment was carried we would still have to import boilers. The House adjourned at 5.30 n.m. The House resinned at 7.30 p.m. After considerable discussion a division was taken on Air Guinness’; amendment, which was lost bv 36 to 26. An amendment by Air. Jus. Alien to reduce electrical machinery from 10 to 5 per cent, was negatived by 42 to 23. Air. Fisher’s amendment to allow ill free electrical machinery for local bodies was negatived by 33 to 23. Amendments by Air. Okey. placing Idii-hooks Oil the free, list,-and by Sir \v -I. Steward, reducing the duty on cash registers from 20 to 10 per cent., were negatived.