T. WILKINSON.]

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becomes normal these handles will be brought out cheaper than at present. The handles I make are very tough and springy. I employ four hands, but I could employ twenty-four if I had protection. I make all classes of handles. The Australian handles are lower in price than the Home article, perhaps 225. There is a duty of 20 per cent, on spokes for wheels, but no duty on the naves, which come in from Australia free. There ought to be a duty on the naves. It ought to be a duty of 20 or 25 per cent. I could then complete with anybody, even Japan. If Ido not get protection I. shall have to do the best I can. The tanekaha is as good as hickory. J. W. Wiseman, representing the Auckland Saddlery, Harness, and Bag Manufacturers, examined. At a meeting of the trade a resolution on the question of Customs tariff was passed, " That it is desirable that an increase should be made in the Customs tariff on goods that can be manufactured locally." This resolution was brought forward so that our industry should be protected at least to the same extent as boot-manufacturers, which is an allied industry, and also enable us to pay the ever-increasing wages of employees. Regarding the anomalies in the Customs tariff, we have not much to complain about, but we think certain items should be admitted free of duty as not being made in the Dominion. The proposed addition on saddlery, &c, would compensate for the loss in revenue by the remission of duty. The items I refer to are: Bits, stirrups, and spurs, which being free would reduce the price of saddlery and harness. Serge for riding and harness saddles : While serge can be made locally, it, is not so suitable as the imported article for our purpose. Kersey: This is dutiable 20 per cent., and is a much better grade of material than collar-oheok, which is free of duty. Buggy-rug linings: Linings for buggy-rugs are dutiable 20 per cent., while the top waterproof material is free, and if the linings were free more of these would be made. Belt-buckles, except in a few instances, are dutiable 20 per cent., and should be free, as arc all other kinds of buckles. The extra duty charged on saddlery and harness would make up for the loss of revenue suffered by the remission of duty on the above-mentioned articles. Leather : The retention of the present embargo on the export of hides is, we think, beneficial and desirable, which has the effect of steadying the price and shortage of leather, and enables the Dominion manufacturers to obtain their requirements. To the Chairman: The employees work forty-eight hours per week, with a minimum of Is, 6d. per hour, going as high as 2s. 2d. In pre-war time there was a great deal of saddlery-work imported. We have a hundred employees. The serge made in New Zealand does not work well; it is more a dress material, and we require a stronger kind. To Mr. Forbes: The principal leather we use is made in New Zealand. We wish to have the primary product. We desire an opportunity of getting what we want before the balance is exported. My firm has not imported any English harness-leather for a long time. Pigskin for the seat of the saddle is imported. We are satisfied with the quality of the leather supplied to us locally. It is good leather for reins. We used it for our purposes before the war. To the Chairman: We are getting protection now, but we want something additional. We understand the boot-manufacturers are getting 30 per cent, Wages have risen by 50 per cent, sjnee we got the protection we now have. Leather has gone up by 20 per cent, since 1908 or 1910. We suggest that the embargo on hides should be continued. If they are exported we are short of leather, which is detrimental to the country. We pay the same price as the exporter can get when he sells his hides for export. To Mr. Sidey: We fear importation from England and America. Ido not know that wages will ever come back in England to what they were before. We were getting on all right with the duty we had before the war. I speak for the trade. Personally Ido not believe in too high a tariff. J. A. Graham, representing the Auckland Saddlery, Harness, and Bag Manufacturers, examined. I produce some belt-buckles. On the large one we pay 20 per cent, duty, but the others come in free. We claim that all the buckles ought to come in free. I produce some collar-check and kersey. The collar-check is free, but the kersey has a duty —that is to say, the better quality is dutiable. It ought to be free. I also produce imported serge. New Zealand does not supply us with an article that wo can use as saddle-serge. Hundreds of Japanese saddles have come into New Zealand. It is plain to me that if any one went to Japan and taught them to make saddles at the price they would cut out our product, Hogskin saddles from Japan have been offered to me at 235. The shape and make are deficient, however, and Hie saddles are not saleable here. However, if a practical saddler went there and taught them they would simply swamp our market at their price. They pay 30 per cent, now, and at the price at which they come in we could not compete with them, even with the duty on them. Our saddle would be double the price of their saddle. To Mr. Sidey: I think the duty against Japan ought to be high. Boots are now protected, on an average, 27J per cent. I really cannot say, however, what the tariff ought to be : I have not given consideration to the matter. The English agents are round New Zealand now taking heavy orders, and I take it, therefore, that we require further protection. They are getting orders which are ten times in excess of the orders we can take. ■ To Mr. Veitch: A Tariff Board, with power to alter the tariff from time to time, would be a good institution. At present things are in a transition stage, and it is absolutely impossible to say that such-and-such a tariff will meet the position. L. A. Walsh, Auckland Aviation School, examined. We ask the Committee to recommend that the Government should give encouragement to the aircraft building industry by placing orders locally for at least a portion of the country's

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