THE TARIFF

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 666, 19 October 1933, Page 5

THE TARIFF

UNITED KINGDOM WHISKY ASSOCIATION URGES REDUCTION METHOD OF' ASSESSING Wellington, Wednesday Three submissions were made to the Tariff Coxnmissi'on to-day on beh:ailf of the Whisky Association of the United Kingdom as follows — (1) That the Commission recommend a substantial decx'ease in the ex•isting spirit duty of 40s per proof gallon, and a r'eversion to a rate of duty rnote nearly approximating' to the 18s per proof gallon in vogue until 1921 . (2) That (the mode of assessing the duty on Scotch or Irish whisky be ooxi the basxs of its actual strength in; relation to proof gallon, or, altern'atively, that in aissessing the duty the' arbitx-ary limitation of strength to 16.5 degrees under proof now imposed be amended to 25 degrees under proof. (3) That whisky he not imported unless it he of five-year maturity. British industry in general contends that th:e basic explanation of 'ihe increase of Japanese exports at the expense of United' Kingdom experts is the existing conditions of hours and wages in the Japanese industry, stated part of the case presented to-day to the Commission on behalf of th'e Silk Association of Great Britain and Ireland. Japanese competition, whether described as f air or unfair, was only possible becauise of the conditions of longer hours and lower wages, which conditions were not tolerated in the United Kingdom. Any reduetion) in the wages of United Kingdom operatives, it was mentiohed, would re'sult in diminishing purchasing power oi United Kingdom1 customefs for New