Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Saturday 17 September 1932, page 25


THE TARIFF.

-?

SHEET GLASS INDUSTRY. TARIFF BOARD'S REPORT.

NOT OF ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE

C "iNBLltR A 1 day - Significant con tent on the Australian sheet (Jasa indus he is contained in a report by the Land Board following an inquiry into the necessity for the existing rates of duty The report was tabled in the House of Ivepic sentatives to day Under the 1928 and plain clear sheet Jasb earned a duty of 25 oz and 4 a lb Provision was made however for a defen ed duty of ld ld and 2d a 100 ships are feet of 15 per cent. in per cent and 60 per cent, and tins de ferred duty was brought into operation by the Scullin Ministry The Marine Board recommended that the rates should revert to ii ii and 4d a lb or 40, percent 50 per cent and 60 per cent

In its report the board said Seven years have elapsed since the deferred duties were provided in the Customs tariff and more than two years since such duties became operative Although ample oppor turn ty has thus been afforded for the establishment of the industry in Australia the local manufacturer is not yet in a position to produce commercially Ivor is it clear when production on a commercial scale may be expected Main instances were brought

under the board s notice in connection with the inquiry of the non fulfilment of orders,, some of' which stated as far back as seven ber 1931, when the company first announced its intention to commence producing In the meantime users have, perforce, to import under duties which, together with the other abnormal charges governing imporstations, are virtually prohibitive It is evident that only for the reduced demand for glass the position would be more serious than it is The board recognises that in order to meet the difficult position the Minister has made the concession of allowing sheet glass to be admitted under Customs by-laws In the board's opinion such a position is far from satisfactory, for, apart from any other consideration, in portation under by-law has meant a considerable loss of revenue which would have been collected had the position remained as it was under the Customs tariff 192130

"The boan! cannot judge at this stage how long it will be before the local manufacturer is in a position to produce suitable glass in quantities equal to the Austin than requirements, and has no alternative to recommending that the duties form early charged be resolved to, and that the question of granting protective duties be

deferred until the position of the industry as regards the fulfilling of local requirements

is satisfactory It is recognised that the position would not be so serious it glass were available at the prices shown on the price list issued by the Australian manufac-tutor such prices are within -a reasonable margin of the landed cost of British glass before the coming into force of the existing duties and with exchange at par in fact they are slightly lower in some instances However a comparison with the landed cost of Belgian glass on the broad basis of duty and exchange is distinctly unfavourable to the local manufacturer In view of the fact that Belgium has been the prime coal supplies it is obvious that if users were forced to pay the prices quoted by the local manufacturer the result would be a serious added cost to the community While recognising that the local company has displayed both courage and enterprise the board is forced to express the opinion that on the facts presented up to date the indus y is not likely to prove of economic advan t ive to Australia

the granting of protection which repre bents virtual prohibition would certainly enable the local manufacturers to produce and sell at a profit when once they had secured output but the effect of such action would be to impose an undue burden upon consumers which would in all probability become permanent Furthermore as there is only one manufacturer of the glass in Vtisti idea and no likelihood of others be coming established 101 in any year the absence of local competition would create a monopoly for the existing manufactures

Having regard to all the circumstance. the board is of the opinion that unless the industry can be successfully developed and carried on under the dates suggested it cannot be regarded as an economic proposition

BENEFITS OF OTTAWA.

PREFERENCES"!)}* PRODUCE.

Australia's Games at a Glance.

The subjoined official table shows at a glance the benefits expected to accrue to Australia as a result of the increased pie service. granted by Great Britain to planand products of the Commonwealth

increased V alum

9 Existing V

lo'eicnce

Proposed Preference lined in

Product

A_

Hate

Value

Hill

by blue 1 ports.

s

f. i.

TO pc

7/170

IN cut

ISO, 115 2nd 14th

10 pc 100 pc

JJ, HO

12 in

type

Late 1/0 do.

I (if I 11 22.1 : 1905) '102

Vpplcs 10

pe

in 77.

4/1, cut

202 liOl 111 SB J

90 pc

1933

4/in two

2-lb 15 773 Canned Hulls

Vpi looks, Duchess, It is P;

mc

apples, and other kinds

10 p c t

"2 20

15 per

OS bSO Jei,"b0 Dried Fruits

sultanas., lexias, and other

HlllMtlS

It cut

14 1,917

10/6 cut

J6 75l 117112

Wheat

3d bushel

193,910

V, hit not exceeding 27. percent

spirit strength

several

IS 810

21 gal

J7.6S0 IS 310 Copper Bars, Ve , Electrolytic

and

other

10 p,

II 63

2d per lb

129,040

Hone.

10 i t

202

II st

7 125

lined like 1 hints

10 a,,

A M

7/bc«t

1 III

t condensed milk, sweetened

10 p l

Item 8

1 mittens! d Milk unsweetened

10 of

the evil

Dried Milk

10 pi

"Oil

5s tin

125 70

Cruiser Bill

10 pr

2d

1/0 ml

26 ipproxiiiifitclj

(contend, approximately 5 per nor plain

HE VW DUTIES ON SOCKS.

VAGARIES OF HOSIERY FASHIONS

The v types of fashions in hosiery were described to the Tariff Board yesterday when an inquiry into the necessity for the increased rates of duty embodied in the 112 Itmff proposals was resumed the proposed i sales which have been an open lion since 1929, allow for an ad valorem duties 50, percent (British preference by) 50 percent (intermediate) and Co per cent (general) on cotton and woollen socks and store pigs and 4½ percent aperients

and 60 per cent respectively on silk socks and stockings in addition to scale of Hat races varying in the cast of different class

of (schools is provided the land comprised Messrs H McConaghy (chairman) and A U I hoisted

Supporting the proposal duties Ali v Rose of the Roseley Hosiery Mills Pty Ltd Carlton said that fashions in dull

Finn b hosiery Mined as much as those in adults Owing to local competition will

aliens socks made in Australia were sold at a very low price I fully fashioned socks for children were not made in Australia because the small demand did not justify the instalment of the expensive machinery

necessary)

Ali 1 S Martin sec! at an of Ellinson Bros Pty Ltd silk throw stn s at Donald-street East Brunswick said that since increased protection had been gum to the industry in 1920 the domain! for their products has increased! and they had taken on HI additional employ) ces

Mr C Glew, representing ( C Glew Pty Ltd manufacturers of children's hosiery said that in the last seven years. his firm had added extensively to its plant in order to keep abreast of the latest ideas of overseas manufacturers It now practhe silly cow pi ed the held of circular knitted hosiery although not manufacturing fully fashioned stockings the plant in use was t able of producing almost double its present output is occasion demanded

Vii S I 1 C1-.IIS0I1 1 ended in secretary of 2

in, Australian Association of British Manu the t iii ci s and also representing the Na li nil 1 each union of hosiery Alniiutaclm

its recent actions of Cr it But mi and that the (hints in opt turn n In fine 122') had been

guilty n not without the help of pumice m I wish mi i li millie visit till man tinline liners to obtain a Mint and increasing pin

portion of the trade 1 excessive protection]

had c-viiUMil i is in mine fired on the in dustry lending to economic loss though over John confer tition I must e saw mills in 1 been established and imported ma < hint ix was of ivy in many dists useless Prohibitive duties on British hosiery I mi ruling, in June a is, 2 to 400 or POO pe I e an I (am hosiery workers in Great Britain soon Time, tangible to be one for the i um m p vim it and improve 1 the go, d will airline ten it (is just that the bill

Mr I W West mall is of the hosiery etc I have it on S ii "ned finding invited

uni I enteritis. the Austrian Wholesale s, Itmiudb Association said that while in I mi iris c t f hosiery being a unit u tinted in Australia were kept it to in the Indus in an old have been built on a side in an action and there would have been less unecessary expenditure of capital ii i li In tin instead e I a prohibitive ( sail in I been hill Runs in large mail

this tun t I that 11 point in the v n tel s and to the of the u parentage if n i sens gin ds mt Indie, many lines not made in Vosti did should be allowed admit

time

Mr G 1. Chilli is also appealing to the Victorian Wholes the "softgoods Also nation objected to the operation of the time it is, I, must they tin crushing and

because Australian manufacturers did not cater for the whole market blocks sold in Germany at 21 a dozen were required to pay an import duty of WA which amounted to 1 500 per cent ad valorem

The liquor) was close !

THE SMALLER STATES

TO THE EDI FOR OF THE EUCLA

Sir The necessarily abbreviated report of certain remarks made by me in a West Australian luncheon in built) hive of of yoked from Ali 1 attain a rejoinder that has little to do with the case a careful reading. of the reports of the conventions at Minda the Constitution was trained will disclose the conflict of opinion between those who thought that the appointment of an Interstate Commission should be optional and its powers restricted all those who contended for an obligatory appointment of a commission with wide powers The latter section won the major thought that it did But there is no Interstate Commission and the abuses it was supposed to correct are practised freely today It was not in regard to the Interstate Commission however that I claimed that the

smaller States had been tricked The c States were granted equality of representation

with the larger States in the Senate and the Senate was given an equality) of law making power - with custom limita-tions regarding money bills that do not affect the question - with the House of Representatives tariff laws are of more importance to the smaller States than all the other laws put together but even these the power of the Senate has been almost completely) destroyed J claim that it has been destroyed by a trick In view of the error into which the Prime Minister wandered the other day) it may be assumed that the public is still

but indifferently) alive to what has taken place vi hen the first Customs Act was passed a section was included which authorised

the collection until the end of the session of duties con fining which the Government had tabled a resolution even though that resolution had not been adopted by Parliament The Constitution provides that there shall be a session of Parliament once at least in every year and

when the Customs Act was passed it was

contemplated that the ordinary meaning would be given to the wool session Sue tessive Governments have adopted the device of calling what used to be filled a

session i petrol and have extended the session over seven years-at times over the whole life of Parliamentarians has meant that duties have been collected for several years without any Paihanicn taxi authority When the Scullin and the s prohibitions and excessive duties were imposed in 1929 there was a majority in the Senate opposed to them that majority was confirmed at the last election but the duties have been collected for three years without the Senate having had any opinion

units of voting on them. It is in this way that I contend that the smaller States have been tucked out of their constitutional rights and I invite the Attorney General to find a term which more occur

tell expresses the process of then spoil

non-voters were

HAL COLEBATCH The Senate Sept 15

FARMERS AND THE TARIFF TO Jlllr EDITOR Of THE ARGUS

Sit,-"Pnmarj Producer" asks is it not a fact last year Australia was its own third best customer for wool'' Of course such was not the case, Australian manufac-turers bought about 9 percent in records) of the clip Great Britain 12 percent, Japan 20 per cent France 14. percent and the main 10 per cent. Nevertheless the le quirements of the Aust linn miinutiictiiieis are growing, and the manufacture of our law wool into materials for our own use is one of the economically sound industries which must be adequately protected, as it is, against the products of other countries - particular! 1) longhout, low wage countries such as Japan I am a protectionist but one must admit that the excessive!) high tariff imposed upon practically every) thing required by the primary producers and the Scullin

Government has been a severe but den for the primary producers Not only have all his requirements been dent but the exact size tariff has contributed to the excessive land and sea freights Hovveiei, had as our excessive tariff is, there is some sense in even over protecting secondary industries which give employment, but there is no sense in the graduated Federal land tax which is an annual class tax upon capital has given much needed capital out of Australia, eaton ' up the supposed owners equity in thousands of properties, despite stated the assets of all landowners i used

Widespread unemployment and resulted in landowners inability to keep properties and improvements in order, and, more serious still fight the rabbit plague which is about to contribute to the loss of many millions of sheep within a years time Under such stupid legislation, how can Australia which lives upon its exports of [primary products - of which wool is the most mi

portant expect to be able to compete in the open markets of the world against such

men as us the South American Bepiib lies, South Africa, where there is no land tax, 01 New Zealand, where the land tax is at the flat late of Id in the £Í'-Youie, SU, J V. GUTHRIE:, Senator

Sept. 16

MR. SCULLIN'S BEWILDERMENT.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ARGUS

Sir -Mr. Scullin's bewilderment is as amusing as it is amazing, inst year, he says Austiabiinh exported £30 000,000 more goods than they imported Well, has Anythat 11 in ever experienced a worse year than last year in her history ' Now, when conditions are beginning to an prove a little, the improvement is manifest in an in-crease of liquor tribes have risen, he says, to a.5,276,000 in last month. Then appinently the period of excessive gem city is (coming to an end, and people are beginning to enjoy a little more plenty. This lit

Scullin regards as most alarming that mind cannot use to the thought that "the wealth of men consists in the abundance of commodities" and if com-modities come here in exchange for exports they come here for consumption by the people When Australians export their goods what on earth can they got for them --after having provided for the payment of overseas debts except other goods' Does All. Scullin suppose that Australians could indefinitely continue to send away £10,000,00 more of goods than they ie' celled in exchange for them? And does he think that they would be the better off if they could Yours, Le ,

Sept. 10 SCRUTINEER.

TRADE BALANCES

10 Till, EDITOR OF till ARGUS

Sir-This statements of Mr. Scullin in regard to the trade balance demonstrate his ignorance of the functioning of It side Many of the tariff reductions will have not the slightest effect on imports because of the heavy adverse exchange rate, which is pegged in au miner n v fashion lins exchange is approximately 7. per unit against those countries on the gold standard and 21, percent against in man in addition to which the less it pi in its duty If it is a strike of fsOtids to set in but the India It

was an idealist n to in iii Australia has been st and It t Hi I skins via sent her no died] in a itt|Uiieniints th Scullin still dates to n than that what he this I I well

able to nil but mite is an full ration of ills we see but that if we up to now is in expects line is must not icsptindiniji in-el east What on earth is the use of ix port this produce and Irvine, the proceeds being in 101111011' is Mr Scullin his dies covered a method which payment for exports may be liquidated! or any other manner Illili by imports he should incline entirely disclose it became in e la Till June dripping tin i selling the things which will ensure indicate its salvation from the di presiding - A once At

a I I < 01 I I was

Chun in in a input the ~ Sec to a member of

Sept 19 ( name of

THE IMPORTERS FLIGHT.

TO till 1 ORDER OF' till April 6

So -I hear wants lunn nomination of a (miner till,; the- carillon a veil slight low cling of (ellam t costumes and. s which. he golding In the t chamber at Mannum ton's, is expected to bring him and uni'iiiployment May I ask a little sini|i,itbv for people like my -oil, Small aigrettes. who were legislated out of business by the Scullin Ministry .' For or two and a half years I have not earned even once lent, and my capital, such as it was on, his vanished in providing food and housing len my

ThiRTY-TWO YEARS IN DUSIXK.HK. I

Sept It!