INDUSTRIES COMMITTEE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10298, 5 June 1919, Page 8

INDUSTRIES COMMITTEE

GROWTH OF TOBACCO ~-v- '''. _. I )■■:"'"'..:■ . •-.'■; V _"' THIS QUESTION' OF TAKJFF. .'. ItEVKION; ..,.; ' ■•!.■ j.;. -...- ■ ■"'■•.■; The Industries Committee of, the House of; Representative! inet at the Parliament, ary'Buildings yesterday. for' the purposr of taking, further ''evidence. =.Mr,C. A. Wilkinson occupied the chair,' and" then were also present "Messrs J. vCrai'gie, ■ G. Forbes, J; T. Ml-Hprnsby. Hi Poland, W. A. Veitcb, and T. ;fc. Sidey." ~.:■ '■, .' ■ . The evidence of Mr A. Harris.-M.P. with reference :to - the cultivation .of 'ohaeco, was submitted to the committee as follo'ws':—• , .."',' ,'.'. '

I produce a sample of tobacco v whicli was grown in Henderson, about 12 m'ile> trom Auckland, by a sett'er ■ Franich—a Dalmatian; He to I'd me-thai he had grown tobacco very?; -successfully in bis native country, .an'H ; he. had; imported the seed j from Palmatla ■•a.nn nlanted it on his land "at Henrtei-sonv'wKX highly satisfactory result?. He .tells, me that ho "Is an. expert in tobacco chiture, and that that is ■ '■ second to none in';; the world. The srreattfeature is;thafc-Tthat-;■'!»' on what, is known . as';,poor,".cum land, which is: : not suitab'p. for" maov other branches of, aftricuHilre'.:'K6t' very far from Mr. Fran ich *s farm "there'ls .> block ,Of land belonging tin.; j't.h*-Cowf• known ; as > tho Birdwood' estate." It'- w,ais farmerly o" gum reserve.: but Vthe tion. .has been Jifted. and thf>>.sii;;Resti6ii madeithat this-land sbftul'd'.be offered-;' for : soldier' settlement..'" The-lon'd' that this ..tobacco was, srrown identical with the land on the Birdwood estate, and with mn.ny-, simt'nr aren> 'Of--'a'ftd in the north. If an industry V)f. this. Mm! caii„be. established, on land; which; is not suitable for ordinary '■•■ agriculture it shonld ; have the assistance of.. the (joverii-. ment in every possible ;'wajv;'r wish ii understood " that I am; giving you tV Opinion of'the grower of |the tohaceo: I' myself do not pretend to Tinow anything about it! He' assures: me there is no better tobacco grown anywhere. If. _ that is. so an- industry; mighjt be established by Government-assistance that would bo available; to-'foldiers: ,'. Partially-disab'ed Soldiers, inight carry it;! on ■■■< very, well; there is ho really hard York' attached to the industry, and the: poor land could be utilised very, largely ;for. it., .The sample I produce is : a~fair*oja'efbf r the tobacco he. had:.':■'.•; ■. ; - ;:.' '■'■• ::' '■',-■ ■■■■■■

ToMr .Hornsby: Mr .Franich cure* the tobacco Bitnply by drying-it. He has* a number iof different grades of .tobacco. He tells me it depend*'entirely upon't'ie time at which the Jeaf is picked .and 'tHe way in -which it is picked. .He ; is prepared, to;: place hfs'-knbwledgeat" the disposal of'the Goverriaient. ••• , : To Mr" • Forbes :-As,far as. I know. Mr Franicli-, has not' submitted the"' tobacco to any ,tobacco people,- to get a report on it; but he told tu<£. he had lin difficulty in selling any he" c<>uldxii"oduco. u .-.,-:••'; ;. . • • - J CUSTOMS'TARIFF.

■ ati n'-'l . ■ i\ '' ■■ -■ Ui '•'" ! ., • rf ..Mr W. F.' Montgomery ; -Comptroller of Customs,: on beiiig asked what'measures Australia had taken, to equalise the Customs tariff. stated that* the inter-State bommeree .law ■'• a -.Customs Board had been, established whifch,''had general functions in relation to j trade and industry: It was '.to, lian trade, openincr, for a new market, arid investigate s-nclt matters as. .wages, .inv | migration,, laboiir supply. Khippin"K,b/Jujn. ties arid profits.. ~ UnULfuU information had; r been given, by "the parties concerned' the board jwou'lii .not propose" any change of the tariff.; The board had no power to amend'-t.he tafia aud the. process of amendment .--was'' 'the same-in Australia as in ■is'eife- Zealand: He believed .that New Zealand should have an evolutionary instead of ,a> fixed tariff. The present tariff was,'/ not,, -in his opinion, -sufficiently elastic. ";There was .no doubt that it had hampered the industries of- fhe. country,. V'i Suggested amendments/ had; been prepared :which were -to'-be..'brought...before*..-"Parliament. They" were.iht-inded to rectify,'anomalies and • remove ihi u-rious conditions' so f jir as were . concerned.,' -A provision suggested bv the. witness ~was in the -following Vter'ms :—"Wheu'eyer '"it appears to the Minister, for Custouis'-that .the duty'on "auy j : article or the freedom from duty-of-'a-nv-article imported -into New Zealand:^or proposed .to b>"import-, ed into New ; -Ke>aland is 'operating' or- is likely to. operate in an iniuHousj v .unfair or anomalous manner, either'..with respect to, the public, or to any: industry or to'', any'-, occupation, or' Whenever it appeal's tA the ..Minister that'^trade; concessions, whether by war Of railway, .rates,shipping freights '.or ■ ;otherwise; are being granted "to goods' exportec; "iron! countries otherA tb'an British •.dominions as against goods exported from". B,ritit-h dominions, the Minister may *,et up <»i< advisory committee eon*».stmg ot no* mow than fiie ppisons. to nd\i'-e on the ipeci-.l subi?-t at issue; committee shall icnart on any subject submitted to it to the Minister, v. ho mnj then bv Ins order tusiiend the existing tar.fi on any article, or impose* such tariff afc he mav deem lust, provided that anT duty or exemnt'on from duty shall receive the appro*.al of the House'of ReDresent.itive*!." The clause would further provide i]i-d m the case of an article admitted free the M.m*-ter should have the' pewer to irupo**" a prefeienhal duty in iavour of British i-lnmin'on*;. In lenlv to questions. Mr Mon(~omerv -nid that,the Minister would be able to act UDon the advice'of the cnaimittee and hectiTo the 'ratification of* Pa*-hs-ment later. i

Mr WiJkinwin Would it no* Ije possible, for Pailiaraent to <Ki] with specified items in the tnufl without; openmsr uo the whole tariff 5 Mr Monhronierv That s foi Parliament to *aj\- It :s a ma* v t"r oi j>: flood lire Replvmsr to a ciuest'cm in regard It p taxal on -on luxuries the witness siio 1 it had to be remerabeied that thp Renernl already amounted to 274 P* r cent Taxihon on luxuries wiild mrrei«o proport'onatelv Informatwi -as bcm~ obtained np to the vili« of motorcars for/nholcsilo T rotail purpose* both in Enplane! iml America The Commission adiourned un'il 10 am to dav.