FOREIGN MACHINERY

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 460, 15 September 1928, Page 15

FOREIGN MACHINERY

REBATE BY CUSTOMS CRITICISED SHARP RALLY IN HOUSE | (THE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, Friday, A brief period of hard hitting between the Hon. W. Dowme Stewart and Mr. H. Atmore was almost the only interesting feature of a desultory discussion initiated by Labour men this afternoon, in the House of Representatives, on the charge that large Customs remissions on imported machinery had been made to a Wellington Reform newspaper. Mr. M. J. Savage had protested against the large rebate duty of £OOO on certain machinery granted what no termed "powerful Reform journal,” on the ground that such machinery could not be economically produced within the Empire. He named a firm which, he contended, could procure British machinery of the type. r * replied that the subject had been investigated, and the very firm which Mr. Savage quoted was one which, in a large number of instances, had imported such maehiner V from outside the Empire. It evidently considered importing Empire machinery of the particular type uneconomic. Mr. H. Atmore entered the chamber during the discussion, and at once plunged into the fray. lr - E - Holland said that the firm would import the machinery ordered by firms. The whole position was that tho firms wanted to save money by sacrificing the interests of British industry. He was taken to task by the Minister, who said that nothing could be more unjust, unfair, and unreasonable, than such statements made by a member who had been out of the House most of the time. If that was Mr Atmore's idea of the standard of political then they did not want his support. “I have listened to the Minister's little sermon,” said Mr. Atmore, in a biting reply. "When the Minister interrupted him he said: “Don’t interrupt me. You have made your speech.” He concluded that nothing tho Minister had said would deter him from his line of criticism.

The motion of Mr. Savage, that the Customs vote be reduced by £5, as a mark of disapproval of the remission, was defeated on a division by 39 to 3 4.'