POLITICAL NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 October 1919, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

DAIRY MACHINERY AND THE CUSTOMS. (By Correspondent.) Wellington", Last Night. Replying to Mr. W. Young (Waikato), who suggested that dairying machinery should be admitted free, the Minister of Customs replied it would not be possible to give effect to tho request without a revision of the tariff. Since 1907, when the tariff was passed into law, dairying machinery has not been regarded as embracing machinery for the manufacture of dried or powdered milk. The term has been interpreted according to its every day meaning, namely machinery for the production of butter and cheese, and for treating milk by way of cooling, sterilisation, or filtration, so that it may be sold for consumption as ordinary milk. Machinery for grinding Corn or wheat, ov for the manufacture of other farm products, is not agricultural machinery, neither is machinery to be set up in a large factory for the manufacture of dried milk, casein, or milk sugar, or for filling such products into tins regarded as dairying machinery. A large amount of duty haß in past years been collected on such machinery, and it would not be expedient to make any alteration without revision of the tariff. THE COAL TRADE. Replying to Mr. Holland (Grey), Who suggested a compulsory conference in the coal dispute, the Prime Minister said the Government had no power to order a compulsory conference to be held. The representative of the miners had, however, been advised of four methods by which the dispute may be investigated and dealt with.