Tax on Tea.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue XXXXV, 10 December 1903, Page 3

Tax on Tea.

The deputation appointed by the New Plymouth Tradesmen's Association to wait on £the regarding the import tax of 2d per lb on tea in packets journeyed by the afternoon train to Inglewood on Wednesday afternoon and met Mr Seddon on the express train. The members of the deputation were Messrs R. Cock (Mayor of New Plymouth), H. Goodacre (President Tradesmen's Association), C. Carter, Fraser and H. F. Russell (Secretary to the Association), and were introduced by Mr E. M. Smith, M.H.R. j The facts of the case were put before the Premier by the various delegates, who explained the position fully—that the tax on imported 'bulk tea had been remitted, but had been retained in the case of the packed t»a imported by retailers. The Premier, in replying, said that the tax was there how, and could hot be removed except by legislation. It would 'have to remain there until Parliament could deal with the matter next session. He stated that this piece of legislation was passed at , the instance of the wholesale packing firms, who had represented to him that the packing industry of the colony was suffering by this importation of teas packed in pound j>ackets by cheap Chingalese labour. Tliey requested that the duty of 2d per lb be imposed on all parcels of tea weighing up to two pounds, and that above that weight the import should be duty free. He had refused to grant that, but had consented to insert the clause relative to pound packets. He had expected that the House would challenge this, but it had been allowed to pass unquestioned. Members could not have been attending to their business at the time, or the clause would never have been made law. He thought the result would be that retail firms would now import in bulk and do their own packing. In that way they would escape the (Import charge. The only other way of evading the tax would be to import in large packets—even a pound and an ounce would suffice to relieve importers of the tax.