PAYING TOO MUCH

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 375, 9 November 1932, Page 5

PAYING TOO MUCH

("Post" Special Commissioner.)

MEMBER ATTACK S PROTECTION OF SMALL DOMINION INDUSTRIES LOWER TARIFFS MORE PAYABLE

Wellington, Tuesday. Th'e claim that too much proteetion was being given to some industries in New Zealand at the expense of the taxpayer, was made hy Mr. A. Harris (Govt., Waitemata) in the House of Representatives this afternoon during the course of the debate on the. short title of the Customs Amendment Bill. ^ . Mr. Harris said it was time that the Government had considered the, complete revision of the Dominion's taritf schedules as tariffs were the chief hindrance to the development of. local industries. Nails were made in the Dpminion, Mr. Harris said, but only 35 people were employed in the 'industry and the labour employed in making the imported and very often foreign wire into nails, only amounted to 10/- per ton, However, this industry was prptected to the extent of £2 9/- peifton and during tbe last five years, huiiders, farmers , and others ydiQ used nails had paid £30,000 in, duty for the proteetion of an industry that . only employed 35 people. Then there was tbe proteetion aceorded Kraft paper which was manufaetured by a firm which had a factory in Mataura and another smali one. in Dunedin. A heavy.duty was imposed upon imported paper- to 'enable: this one firm to manufacture. paper from pulp imported mainly from foreign countries. Last year every man engaged in the manufacture of Kraft paper had been protected to the extent of £490. The Government had imposed increasingiy high tariffs for the purpose of collecting revenue hut the result had been th'at revenue, had fallen away as imports had been reduced. The largest revenue was collected by the use of a low tariff. - >