TARIFF COMMISSION

Hokitika Guardian, 13 October 1933, Page 2

TARIFF COMMISSION

EVIDENCE IN CHRISTCHURCH ! . . .1 {Per press Association, Copyright), j CHRISTCHURCH, October 12. j A reply, to certain' allegations made j by the Auckland Chamber of Com- , merce on the effect of the wheat duties | was made by Mr W. Machin before! the New; Zealand Tariff! Commission | to-day. The statements were contain , ed iil the manifesto entitled “The , Wheat 'Glut” forwarded to the Com-! mission on September 28th. Mr Ma- 1 chin said that bread In New Zealand! was cheaper, in terms of real wages,: than in 18 out of 22 lending countries j of the world The wheat industry j supported a host of allied and subsidi- : ary industries, and a larger proportion; of labour than most industries The, wheat 'industry had not asked for any i export bounty, and it had provided for j orderly marketing since the sliding j scale was instituted. Wheat lands had j largely decreased in value. If the j Government was to institute an export j tax on wheat, would the Auckland j Chamber advocate a similar tax on i butter, wool and meats? As usual! the statements made by the Auckland J Chamber of Commerce on the subject j of wheat were not founded on facts, j but were suggestions and half truths, i which exhibited much bias. j

Dr Craig: Isn’t it a little unfair to use the words “as usual”? Mr Machin: This is really a continuation of the argument started at least four years a^o. Mr W. B. Bray, honey producer, asked that a duty of 2d per pound he imposed on all .imported glucose at present admitted free. Messrs W. Auld and F. Brodie,

New Zealand representatives for Hill Norman and Beard Ltd., organ builders, London, asked for a duty of 20 per cent, on foreign great organs, and parts, at present admitted free. He said that church organs were in fact all British, but kinema organs had been imported from foreign countries, and as Britain had taken up the manufacture of these organs, she was anxious to secure the trade.

Mr R. B. David, representing John Burns and Co., protested against the application for an increase in the tariff on compression ignition engines.

A request for a reduction in the duties on cricket material was made by Mr D. E. Wanklyn, Treasurer of the New Zealand Cricket Council. Charges on bats to-day were so high that a bat worth £1 10s in England cost £3 5s in New Zealand. Other witnesses asked for the removal of the duty on vegetable extracts. beekeepers’ comb foundation and iron tanks.

Mr A. E. Byrne, Secretary of the Hardware Merchants’ Association, onposed the .application for a duty of £5 per ton on Canadian barbed wire.