LOCAL INDUSTRIES COMMISSION.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 150, 27 August 1880, Page 3

LOCAL INDUSTRIES COMMISSION.

The following evidence given by Mr Clias. Cooinbes, of Coombes and Sons, tanners, Dunedin, before the Commissioners at Dunedin on May IS, bears out our views with regard to the imposition of a moderate protective tariff in the way of fostering our local industries " I represent the firm of Cooinbes and Sons, and will state to you what the little grievance of our trade is. We have all our raw materials free—our barks and our oils. Our firm makes leather here and in Christchurch. In Victoria or Adelaide, when trade is slack there, the manufacturers send their surplus stock to New Zealand, sell it at a lower price and fairly swam]) us. Wo cannot send our leathers over there, as there is 30 per cent, duty both in Victoria and Adelaide; so that when we are slack are we are obliged to send our hides over to them, and they make them into leather and send- them down to us. We require to be placed on the same footing that they are on. Since they have got a3O per cent, duty on manufactured leathers, let us have the same. If we admit their leather duty free, they should allow ours to go in duty free. Let every man in our trade compete one with another on the same footing—that is what I contend for. lam not ashamed of our leather. Boots and shoes made from our leather gained prizes for material and workmanship at the Sydney Exhibition. Saddlery, also, made from leather made in our shop got a prize. We could get labor in Victoria for L2 a week, but I am obliged to pay the same men here L 3 to L 4 per week 1 A little while ago I had 70 men working for me ; but trade became dull in Victoria, down came the leather from there wholesale, and I was obliged at once to discharge half my men. I have not 35 men now.’ I repeat that all we require is to be placed on the same footing as the Victorian tanners. lam not the least afraid of I ictorians' sending their leather down here if we were on the same footing as they are. We can produce a better article than tuey can ; if that article was open to them, we could send them an article which would nive us a good deal of their trade. But when trade is slack there, and they, send us down their leather wholesale, we obliged to send away our hides. That gives them a double advantage over us. !!