THE TARIFF

Hokitika Guardian, 26 July 1930, Page 2

THE TARIFF

FARMERS’ UNION PROTEST. [By Telegraph, Per Press Association.J CHRISTCHURCH,. July 24. The .North Canterbury farmers’ union executive to-day carried a resolution, protesting aginst the; removal of the duty on barley, other than for the manufacture . of’ beer. The executiv* telegraphed the Prime Minister as follows:-- 1 “In practice this will be tantamount to the total removal of the duty, which will result in a local industry of considerable value to tiie community being ruined for tiie very doubtful 6benefit which it is assumed will be enjoyed by the industry yet to be established.” MOTORISTS COMPLAIN. WELLINGTON, July 25. The proposals' in the Customs Tariff and the Budget touching motorists were strongly condemned by Mr A. E. Ansell, Reform member for Chalmers, who is President of the South Island Motor Union, in an interview this evening. He said that the proposals would lie met by great opposition from motorists in general and from their organised bodies In the petrol tax alone, £750,000 extra would be paid. The discontinuance of grants from the Consolidated Fund and the Public Works Fund for the highways, and also the payment of interest on the basis of the transfer of £1,228,000 from the Pubic Works Fund to , the highways construction fund, he said, wr.3 unjust. It reflected ho credit on the authorities as being an' evasion of moral responsibility, as the past grants had been made by Parliament free of interest, The, Government, said Mr. Ansell, was throwing the whole cost of 10,000 miles of roads on the motorists and local bodies, and refused to contribute anything towards their maintenance. The petrel tax was a clumsy way to tackle the matter of putting the road competition with the railways oil a more equitable basis; for many roads and theiii 1 , users were not in competition with 'the railways. With all the extra taxation, the highways programme could not be expedited nor the counties given any substantial assistance. The towns and cities, he said, although contributing , heavily to the fund, received, no benefit.. Motoring was taxed like a luxury, but it- was not one. WELLINGTON, July 25. The President of the New Zealand Racing Conference (Mr, Watkins), when, approached regarding the increased tax; from the tote, said that at this juncture he thought it best to .say nothing. The Secretary of the Conference (Mr Sellers) said it came as a blow. The first charge, on the tote was 12$i per cent. Of this, the Government would take 5 per cent, and clubs 7£ per cent. The dividend tax,remained at 5 cent, making the total charge 171. thus each pound invested on the tote inline, clifttely shrunk to 16s Qd, TIMBER TARIFF., AUCKLAND, July 25. The following telegram has been sent to the Prime Minister by the sawmillers associated in the timber, trading: ‘The Government’s proposals will not result in any protection to the industry, as the duties imposed by the Government have already been forestalled by the recent reduction in the price of 2s per 100 ft by the Oregon shippers. The sawmillers respectfully urge- that only bulk timber over 12in. by 12in, be admitted, and that , the duty on this item be increased to 7s 6d per 100 ft. The importation of smaller j sizes should be entirely prohibited, I with the exception of containers for farmers’ produce, This would result in increased labour being used in the manufacture of smaller sizes and dressing timbers, thus relieving unemployment in the industry.”