TARIFF DEBATE.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 December 1921, Page 4

TARIFF DEBATE.

FIRST STAGE COMPLETED. SEVERAL CHANGES MADE. THIRD READING TO-DAY. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The House to-night again went into committee of ways and means to consider further amendments to the Customs Bill. In reply to Mr. T. M. Wilford (Leader of the Opposition), Mr. Massey said the amendments were the result of consideration. given to suspend proposals. There was an exception, inasmuch as the power giver to the Minister in clauses 12 and 13 o! the Bill had been modified. Mr. W. A. Veitch (Wanganui) and Mr C. E.’ Statham (Dunedin Central) urgec that greater power should lie in the bands of the House to review Orders-in-Council dealing with duties. The Hon. W. Downie Stewart replied that if the sections of the Bill dealing with special duties by Order-in-Council were tc be of any use they must be operative at once. Thus power must be in the hands of the Executive; otherwise the Bill would be nugatory in its effects. The only wa> to meet members’ ctesire to preserve the authority of the House was to make it incumbent on the Governmnet to lay Orders-in-Council before the House at the earliest opportunity. So far as the complaint that the Government would ignore Parliament, in the matter was concerned, his reply was that no Government could afford to flout Parliament in such a way but it was necessary that someone should have power to act at once in special cases, and the Bill provided that authority. He instanced the case of tea coming from Ceylon, via Australia, which under the new resolution bears an impost of fivepence pei pound. Under the provisions of the Bill it was possible to grant a refund on this important item, bringing the duty thereon in line with the preferential rate.

WIDE POWERS. Mr. H. E. Holland (Leader of the Labor Party) objected to the Government having power in the interval between sessions to override the decisions of Parliament on tariff matters. It was impossible for any Government to make refunds of duties paid over any lengthy period of time. In any case, if an importer obtained a refund of duties paid the consumers would not get relief from the higher retail prices paid in the meantime. Mr. T. K. Sidey (Dunedin South) said he had just raised a protest against the power proposed to be conferred on the Government under clause twelve, and now it was proposed to make the power applicable under every clause in the Bill. The power asked for was not. required except in special circumstances, such as the necessity to- meet the dumping of foreign goods in the Dominion. He urged that a tariff board should be set up, so that some expert opinion may govern, in addition to the judgment of a single Minister. Mr. D. Sullivan (Avon) considered the House would not »4)e justified in giving up to Ministers the power it had secured only by long years of effort. Parliament must at all costs protect the rights of the people. Mr. J. McCombs (Lyttelton) supported the protest against surrendering the power to impose taxation. Only in extreme circumstances should the Government increase taxation through duties without convening Parliament. AMENDED DUTIES. Amendments were considered in committee and a resolution was agreed to embodying the alterations in the resolutions of November 3, 23 and 28 as follows:—“Silk plush in piece” deleted from hat-makers’ materials; “iron galvanised or plain black,” made free preferential, 20 per cent, ad valorem, 20 per cent, general; “plain black or galvanised sheet or hoop iron or rolled iron” are deleted from schedule and in place thereof is inserted “iron, plain sheet, •plain plate and hoop, whether black, polished, enamelled, plated, tinned, galvanised or otherwise coated with metal not elsewhere included; rolled, chequered, iron plates, plain black, free preferential, 20 per cent, ad valorem, intermediate and general (except hoop 6 inches wide or over).” , “Metal not elsewhere included” is made free, ten and ten; “plain wire, barbed fencing wire” made free, five and ten”; cash registering machines, adding and computing machines, adding and typing machines,” made 20 per cent, under all headings; “motor vehicles, tractors for use in warehouses, etc.,” ten, twenty and twenty-five; “single seated motor bodies.” Jhe duty in the preceding clause* plus £5 each, £7 10s and £7 10s; “double seated.” ditto, plus £lO,. £l5 and £l5; “bodies with fixed or moveable canopy tops,” plus £l5, £22 10s and £22 10s. In paints and colors a new item, “putty and wood fillers” is inserted with duties of £2 10s a ton, £5 os and £7. On the now clause 20A. providing that Orders-in-Council under this Act are to be laid before Parliament, Mr. Wilford suggested, an addition or amendment making the clause more effectual by providing that an Order-iff-Council may be varied, confirmed or revoked by resolution of the House. Mr. Massey said the House could not bind succeeding Houses to any course of ' action. The matter was an exceedingly difficult one to deal with.

Mr. McCombs moved as an amendment, “If the House of Representatives, within 21 days after the laying of such an Order-in-Council on the" table, fails t'o carry the resolution as herein provided, such Order-in-Council shall thereby be revoked.” The amendment was lost by 49 to 17. Mr. Statham moved an amendment providing that an Order-in-Council shall be deemed to he revoked if a vote is not taken within fourteen days of the notice of motion being lodged by a member of the House. This was lost. Mr. Sidey moved “That no Order-in-Council under clauses five to nine shall have any effect until ratified by Parliament.” This was lost 'on the voices. The clauses were added on a division by 58 to 11 on the schedule. The committee agreed with the Minister's proposals to pilace calico and textile flour bags, etc., on the free list under all headings. The Minister moved a new clause admitting ba ml instruments free, provided a declaration was made by a responsible officer of a band that t'he instruments would remain the property of the band and would not be sold, but if the instruments are sold the duty must be paid. The clause was added. On the motibn of the Minister the duty on road graders was made free, ten and ten. The Bill was then reported to _ ]]gi ’ House with amendments and D e rti “ t idments were agreed to. the ’hii- « being set down for C , House rose at 11.50 yn-.