THE TARIFF.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1585, 21 May 1887, Page 3

THE TARIFF.

AvctLiSV, May 20. Mr Seed, of the Customs Department, telegraphs to Mr Trenwitb, Preildent of tbe Auckland Rootmakers' Aiiociation at follows: Sir J, Vogel directs n« to inform you that in the tariff Bill less dnty will be imposed on leather than that in resolution. He thinks this change will meet the views of the trade. At a meeting of the ooaohbuilderi trade last sight it was resolved that in the opinion of this meeting the proposed alteration in the tariff is determentai to the carriage building trade of the colony. The meeting decided that carriage requisites aud all new material required by the trade should be admitted free of dnty. Dtobdik, May 20. Sir J. Yogel replies to the Chairman of Wednesday's meeting as follows.— Tou state the meeting was representative. May I be exonied asking representative of what? Evidently a person with a knowledge of trade and of the existing tariff could not have framed the reiolutions. The first is purely a political one, and, forgive me for laying, should rather be submitted to a public than a private meeting. The ssoond is precisely what the new tariff eontinued with the old one does, and it appears to be extracted from a handbook on political economy. If the third bad effeot given it, exiiting duties on beer, spiriti, wines, biscuits, jams, oandlei, and other articles produoable in the oolony, betides tea and sugar, would have to be largely reduoed, It is obvions by an absurdity and demonstrative of the faot that these subjeoti cannot be dealt with by the light of theoretical views. The only principle oontended for in the fourth is adopted to the utmost extent practicable, and the tame remark applies to the fifth. The sixth appears to be the result of not reading ai mnoh of the old tariff as is left undisturbed.