THE FEDERAL TARIFF.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 274, 21 November 1901, Page 3

THE FEDERAL TARIFF.

PROTESTS AGAINST DUTIES ON MARINE STOKES. WHITE PINE TO BE ADMITTED FREE. Received 20,10.27 p.m. Sydney, November 20. The sealing up of vessels' stores by the Federal Customs authorities, and the charging of duty on such stores has been forcibly resisted by ocean going vessels. Several vessels, after the stores had been sealed, steamed ontside the three mile limit and broke the with t'ne intention of forcing the Federal [Government to d> fend its position. The latter, however, his withdrawn from its position, and issued instructions to revert to the old method. Stores are now being issued aboard ships, duty free. Melbourne, November 20.

Mr Kingston has informed the House that the Government had decided to p'ace New Zealand pine for butter boxes on the free list. When twitted with the remission, he said that if it could be shown that Australia possessed timber suitable for but er boxes, he would gladly reimpose the duty.

Wellington, November 20,

Cable aivicf 8 reached Mr S9ddon tonight from Melbourne that the duly on white pine timber was being abolished by the Federal Government.

The protests nf British shipowners : against cert lin Federal teaislation can be appreciated more fully in New Zealand when the experience of one of our own direct st- ameis is known. It appears that t.hfl minute a steamer enters i an Australian port, duty has to He ! paid on all du'iablegonds consumed by j (those on b;>ard the ship. On her last; trip, for instance, t'ne Toogarir o arrived at Hobart one aftprnoo", a .1 left the next moraine for N»w Zealand The amount of dutv collected on dutiable goods consumed in that period was £1 16s sd. Here are some of the items: —Spirits 3s 6d ; be<r in hottlo, 3s; butter 3s 9s ; eight pigeons (preserved ; meat) 8d ; beef (preserv d meat), 2s ; I biscuits, Is 3 ; vfg-tibles, 8d ; coffee | (roasted), Is 3d; flour, 4s ; jam, 2s Bd;' oatmeal, lOd ; split toes lid ; rice, 6d ; sustr Is 9d ; tea, Is 9d; calvesfoot jelly, 2d ; dried apples Id ; aoep (al qualities), Is 5d ; bacoD, Is; condensed milk, 2s 4d ; and salmon Is. Small wonder that the companies l , whose bills are much larger, protested to the Imperial Government.