FREE ENTRY OF FOREIGN MARBLE AND GRANITE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 174, 13 October 1927, Page 16

FREE ENTRY OF FOREIGN MARBLE AND GRANITE

OBJECTIONS IN THE HOUSE (THE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON., Wednesday.

The agreement by the Government: to admit foreign marble and granite to New Zealand free of Customs duty was declared in the House of Representatives to-day to be an invitation to outsiders to compete with'our own material, which was said by members to. be quite plentiful for this country’s requirements. Hr, R. P. Hudson, member for Motueka, protested against the free entry of foreign marble, and said that apart from the utility of our product for the erection of big buildings, there was a sentimental element which should have guided the authorities to clioose New Zealand stone for the Massey monument. Why did the experts decide in favour of foreign marble he asked? The Minister of Customs, the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, said that it appeared to him to be a question whether the big interests of the stone masons throughout the country were to be served or whether their welfare was to be submerged for that of the few men who worked in the quarries—admittedly few. The masons had complained that they could not get the variety of stone they required, and wished tp have the overseas stone come in free. „ , Mr. H. Atmore, member for Nelson, considered that the Minister should make free entry only for those classes of marble that could not be secured by the masons from the New Zealand product. . The member for Nelson mentioned incidentally that the re-modelling of the Nelson Cathedral, which was to cost £BO,OOO, would be faced with New Zealand marble. _ ... . The item was postponed with tne agreement of the Minister.