PARLIAMENT.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8918, 11 September 1907, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

House of Representatives

Per Press Association. AA T ni,LTNaTON, September 10. Tho House met at 2.80. Mr Arnold moved tho adoption of i tho Select Committee's report on j the DuiiedTi Suburban as Company's • Empowering Bill, which was agreed j to. . | The House thou wont into Coni- 1 mittoe on tho Tariff Bill. I Tho amendment to place boilers | or parts therefor for steam engines '' lor mining, including gold dredging or gold saving purposes and processes, or for dairying purposes, the 5 per cent list was furtherbated. Tho Hon. A. J. Millar reiterated

his previous remarks that 20 per, cent was placed on these boilers in order to grant assistance to local boilermakers. lie contended that those boilers conld-bo made locally, and that, while tho local boilermakers wore not fully engaged on' largo boilers, they could All in timo makiug small boUcrs for dairying purposes. Ho hoped , the committee would not carry the amendment. Mr Kerries believed that tho boiler industry was prospering in colony, but if it was in such a Suguishiug position that it needed 20 per cent protection, tho question was whether it was worth retaining tho industry. The Premier said that tho total duty paid on boilers for dairying purposes last year was £53 19s, yet it was beiug claimed that tho dairying industry was being penalised, and nothing was being done for it. In regard to what was beiug done for tho benefit of tho dairy industry ho need not only say that tbo tax on imported batter was nearly 14s per ton. Tho total duty paid on boilers imported for tbo mining industry last year was £l3 15s, and yet it was claimed that tho increased duty , would seriously handicap tho mining industry. Ho added that £BOOO per annum was being paid for the inspection of dairies.

Mr Millar said tho tax on tho dairy industry under tho now schedule, based on tho previous year’s imports, would only bo about £2OO.

Mr Massey said if there was a duty of 50 per cunt on butter it would not affect the price of butter to tiio extent of a farthing per lb. Ho contended that the principle of tho tax proposed to bo placed on the dairying and mining industries was injurious as they were two principal dustries of tho colony. Ho added that tho effect of tho inspection of the dairy industry would bo to drive many men out of tho industry. The Premier contended fiat the duty on buttor, also on wheat, was originally placed for the purpose of protecting tlioso industries. Ho be = lieved that a leading representative of the dairy industry had expressed iiiins't satisfied with tho duty placed on boilers. Ho added that the Government inspection of : dairies was first proposed by a Mr Ma soy iu the north. Ho did not say ho was tho Leader of the Opposition. Mr Hardy: There is only one Massey i Tho Premier: Then it must have, boon him. Mr Hornsby rogre Stcd Mr Massey’s remarks on tbo expenditure for dairy inspection. Ho (Mr Hornsby) represented a dairy district, and could -say that tiio Y/airarapa dairymen at any rate welcomed tho Minister’s proposals, which would greatly benefit tho industry. Mr Izard said that the dairymen themselves approved of the tariff* and it was useless to t“B; against tho He could only endorse

Mr Hornsby’s remarks that if the iy« spec(pr ai Dairies . was going fa

drive tiuii farmors out of tho Iff- 1 dnstry, then “Let ’em go!” Mr Minions said ho still hold the opinion that implements for dairy, purpose should bo on tho free lisp.' but alter concession's that had beeff granted, amounting iu some cases to 80 per cent on the original proposals, ho did not think the farmers iu ips doctorate would’ take ’ ex; caption td a reasonable’ tax; for tho pur noses of protecting local ijjdusj tries- He di-gad that” ap per cenp more should "be added to tho price paid by the Orovvii to owners of diseased cattle destroyed by order of tiio Crown, in tho interests of tho colony, Sir’Guinness said what ho objected to on behalf of tiio mining and dairy industries was that an increased duty of lb per cent had boon imposed. Surely it could not bo argued that the increase was for tho purpose of protecting tho boilor-making ins dnstry, when it was clearly shown by the Premier that tho number of boilers imported were ro foyf tha( the t6|a'| ciufy was £t!(s, and'bp cdffld not say the duty was ’ for ’reveling purposes, as the amount was act small. He added that ’it could nq| bo required for revenue pufpdseg whilst they‘had a surplus of three: quarters of a million. ’ It would only be a drop iu the bucket. Mr Hanan said he could uuder-

stand the opposition to the tariff if it was going to cripple tiie mining or dairying industry, but it was not going to do this, and for that reason lie was going to support tho tarifj-/’’ 4 Mr LotyiS - said’’ -the 1 ' effect oft'hq

duty would Bo to impose on tliti dairying and 'mining industries an additional 15 per cent on all boilers! Mr Tjuucan said there was a feeling among farmers and dairymen that this was the first attempt to exploit thorp, fifid tiro rofpilt rynipd be that a reaction would take placo, Tha Premier stud Mr Dnneaij must pave shut his eyes to what the Government had done for tire dairymen and farmers. He asked how it vyss tlitet members representing the dairy districts had pot received apy. coir,muuicatiqns from their qoh-. sti'tneuts' oppoisug the proposals? He added that the Government had to consider the workers and families who had riot the advantage of being on the laud, and to provide for these it was necessary fp grant assistance to local industries by protection against imported articles. Mr Okey said bo could produce scorers of telegrams from dairy

factories in his electorate asking him to vote against the duty. Ho asserted that those was no need foil dairy inspection whilst they were, producing such high-class buttor da tho colony was exporting. Ho added that the farmers had not asked fop duty on butter, as they could dq without it; in fact, they could make butter at i}£d per lb, and ho contended that not a single pound of butter hart over been imported.

Tiro Premier pointed out that butter had been imported to. the colony from Ireland and Australia. Mr Fisher said it seemed to him that the mining and dairying industry had been fostered to an exceedingly high degree. Ho added that boilers could not bo made as cheaply hero as in England. Continuing, ho said that the city ’of Wellington had to pay twice as much duty oh boilers imported for electric light purposes—as, for instance', tbo directors of the Waihi Gold Mining Company. Even if the, 5 per cent amendment was carried they would still have to import boilers. The House adjourned at 5.80 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30, Mr Hcrries contended that the extra duty on machinery, stationery and books would equal the reductions made, so that the remissions which the Government had made eo much of would be nil. *

: Mr Hogg considered it the duty of the Legislature to do what it cbuld : to foster youug industries, aud he contended that the iron industry was (one that should be supported. Tub i mining and dairy machinery re* : ; quirod , consideration, as large quantities of machinery were used in chose industries, and'he considered that an increase from 5 to 20 per cent was a huge jump. s The Hon. Millar said 17 boilers were imported last year for dairy purposes, representing a lost of £lOl4, and it was far better that these should be made in the colony. i Mr Major contended that there was nothing in the arguments put forth; by Hie Governments to justify the increase. - 11 Mr Poole said if they were not prepared to grant assistance to the I engineering industry in order that they would find employment for more young men then we were drifting to a point when wo should „. have a groat excess of unskilled. * workers. ' Mr Massey said under the old list that all dairying machinery was free, whereas under the new tariff only coolers aud separators would ' „ ' come in under the free list. He , 'A added that owing to the preferential tariff the actual duty.on American ~ boilers would be 25 per oent, an.' in- v ,; crease on the old tariff of cent.- lie ‘contended that it was absolutely n& protection to the dairy. ;..JI .industry, "as, the,butter had,, to oom- ; pete in the”opon market wish bnttervSgl manufactured in countries nearer to .- ; |n

w«n.io«ri iiid countries wliicli had Seaucr lX" than Nuw Zealli,} f ° TVTr P °Jo»u iu S s saitl town members v J no conception of the conditions Vhich dairymen laboured in jiry districts. Men, ; women, „],jldren worked seven days per wook an(l frequently during the heavy season the m:u worked 16 nnd 1" hours per day. Ho considered that every concession should be the dairy industry, and lie ygs going to vote for the abolition of (he duty on dairying machinery every time. Onji division the amendment was jj’gatived by 30 to 20. Mr James Allen moved an amendment to reduce the duty on electric machinery appliances from 10 to 6 per cent. Tiie Minister said electrical machinery was on the same list as it had been for years, and if, as suggested by Mr Ailon, it was displacing,other machinery, that was good reason why the duty should be retained.

The amendment was negatived by 42 to 23. Mr Fisher moved that _ electrical machinery for local bodies be admitted at 5 per cent. The amendment was negatived by S 3 to 23.