1887.

WESTERN .

OF

TARIFF COMMISSIONr

Presented to the Legislative Cowicil by His Excellency's Comrnand.

(SESSION COMMENCING 15TH DEC., 1887.)

PERTH: BY AUTHORITY: RICHARD PETHER, GOVERNMENT PRINTER.

1887. No. 3185.-C.S.O. 3146 87 COMMISSION By His Excellency Sir FREDERICK NAPIER BROOME, Knight Commander of F. NAPIER BROOME. the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over the Territory of and its Dependencies, &c., &c., &c. To the Honorable Sir MALCOLM FRASER, Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Colonial Secretary, Justice of the Peace; LEONARD WoRSLEY CLIFTON, Esquire, Collector of Customs, Justice of the Peace; STEPHEN HENRY PARKER, Esquire, Barrister-at-Law, Member of the Legislative Council; , Esquire, Member of the Legislative Cotmcil, Justice of the Peace; , Esquire, Member of the Legislative Council, Justice of the Peace; WILLIAM THORLEY LoTON, Esquire, Member of the Legislative Council, Justice of the Peace; WILLIAM DALGETY MooRE, Esquire, President of the Chamber of Co=erce, . WHEREAS it is expedient to inquire into the operation of the existing Customs Tariff of the Colony, with the view of considering whether, without inflicting any serious loss upon the revenue, any alterations may be made therein which would be likely to further promote the trade, settlement, and production of the Colony: Now THEREFORE I, Sir FREDERICK NAPIER BROOME, Governor, as aforesaid, have thought fit to appoint, and do hereby appoint you the said Sir Malcolm Fraser, Leonard Worsley Clifton, Stephen Henry Parker, George Shenton, George Randell, William Thorley Loton, and William Dalgety Moore to be Commissioners for the purpose of inquiring into the operation of the said Customs Tariff, with the view aforesaid, and to make recommendations accordingly, if such appear. desirable, accompanying the recommendations with a statement of reasons therefor, and with an estimate of the probable financial effect of the recommendations, giving the facts and figures upon which the said estimate is arrived at. And I do hereby desire and request that you do, as soon as the same can conveniently be done (using all diligence), report to me, in writing, your proceedings in virtue of the Commission. And I further will and direct, and by these presents ordain, that this Commission shall continue in force until you shall have finally reported upon the matters aforesaid, or otherwise until this Com­ mission shall be revoked by me; and that you, the said Commissioners, shall have liberty to report to me your several proceedings from time to time, as the same or any part thereof may respectively be completed and perfected. And I do appoint the said Sir MALCOLM FRASER to be Chairman of the said Commissioners. Given at Government House, , this seventh day of September, in the year of Our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Eighty-seven. By Command of His Excellency the Governor, MALCOLM FRASER, Colonial Secretary, REPORT OF TARIFF COMMISSION.

His Excellency Sir Frederick Napier Broome, Knight Oornrnander of the Most Distinguished Orde1·

of Saint Michael and Saint George, Governoi· and Oornrnander-in-Ohief in and ove1· the Territory of Westem Australia and its Dependencies.

MAY IT PLEASE YouR ExcELLENCY,-

Having been appointed Commissioners for the purpose of inquiring into the operation of the Customs Tariff now existing in this Colony, with a view of considering whether (without inflicting any serious loss upon the Revenue) any alterations may be made therein which will be likely to further promote the trade, settlement, and production of the Colony, we have agreed to the following Report, as the result of our deliberations on divers occasions.

The manner in which Your Excellency was pleased to receive the Address the Legislative Council, dated the 15th August last, forwarding the Report of a Select Committee on this question, has led yom Commissioners to believe that the views briefly embodied in that Report have met with approval, and that any amendment of the existing Tariff which would tend to promote new trades and industries or to further encourage those already established, and so to advance the varied interests of all classes of the Colonists, would thus meet with favor from your Government, as also from the Legislature and people of the Colony. Your Commissioners, whilst having in view the development of particular trades, by levying larger imposts on certain manufactured goods-when it is thought such may be successfully produced within the Colony-have at the same time desired to confer a general benefit, by enlarging the Free List and by admitting much raw material at the low duty of five per cent. ; whilst they have placed numerous articles of luxury at a high rate of duty, namely, twenty per cent., considering that those who require such imports may reasonably and equitably be expected to benefit the Revenue.

Your Commissioners desire to save money now lost to the Colony, by admitting under a light duty of 5 per cent. many imports required for the improvement of the settlement of the land, considering that by this course the Colonists may be better and more largely provided with various articles of necessary consumption, and exports increased. On the other hand, your Commissioners have advised, for the purpose only of raising revenue, some higher duties, when such can be fairly levied, as in the case of imported wine .

• 4 The re-adjustment of Customs charges, under the heads particularised in the Schedules attached, showing five divisions, namely:- 1. Specific duties., 2. Twenty per cent., 3. Five per cent., 4. Ten per cent., 5. Free imports, enables your Commissioners to recommend a reduction of duty on all articles not par­ ticularised in the first, second, third, or fifth of these Schedules, from the present rate of twelve and a half per cent., to ten per cent., a reduction of one fifth ad valoreni; this will doubtlessly be accepted as a boon, and it is believed can be effected without any noticeable loss to the Revenue, that is, calculating on the Import returns of 1886; and it affords your Commissioners much pleasure to find themselves able to advise this.

In considering their proposals, your Commissioners have had before them the Tariffs of the other Australian Colonies, and they have adopted such of the principles which govern those tariffs as seem applicable.

The draft of a proposed new Customs Tariff is annexed to this Report.

· All which is humbly submitted to Your Excellency.

MALCOLM FRASER, Chairman. L. WORSLEY CLIFTON, S. H. PARKER, GEO. SHENTON, G. RANDELL, W. T. LOTON, W. D. MOORE. 28th November, 1887. 5

PROPOSED CUSTOMS TARIFF.

First Schedule. Table of Specific Duties. RATE OF ARTICLE. D U TY. £ s. cl. Horses and Horned Cattle each 0 10 0 Sheep 0 1 0 " Pigs 0 2 0 " per lb. 0 0 1 :Bacon, smoked or dried, and in pickle or brine, Hams, and Tongues 0 0 3 " :Beef and Pork, in pickle or brine 0 0 1 " Beer, Cider, ancl Perry per gallon 0 1 0 Biscuits per lb. 0 0 2 Br&n and Pollard pe1· ton 1 0 0 utter, Butterine, and like Substances per lb. 0 0 2 0 0 2 Candles " per barrel 0 2 0 per lb. 0 0 3 0 5 0 Cigars, Cigarettes, and Snuff " Cocoa, Chocolate, Chicory, Coffee (roast or ground) 0 0 3 " 0 0 2 Coffee (raw) ... " 0 0 4 " per bushel 40 lbs. 0 0 4 do. 60 0 0 6 Wheat " do. 50 0 0 4 Barley " do. 60 0 0 6 Maize and Gram " Dates per lb. 0 0 2 per ton 2000 lbs. 1 0 0 Fruit, dried ... per lb. 0 0 3 Galvanized Iron (corrugated sheet) per ton 2 0 0 Ginger per ib. 0 0 3 Hay and Chaff per ton 1 0 0 Hops per lb. 0 0 4 Iron and Steel Wire, Standards and Staples, for Fencing per ton 0 10 0 Iron Gates, Hurdles, and Bars for Fencing per cwt. 0 1 0 La.rd per lb. 0 0 2 Lead (Sheet, Pig, and Piping) ... per cwt. 0 2 6 Malt per bushel 0 2 0 Methylated Spirit and other Spirits rendered unfit for human consumption per gallon 0 1 0 Oatmeal per ton 1 10 0 Oil (Fish and Vegetable, except Salad in bottles) ... per gallon 0 0 6 Oils, Mineral and Turpentine 0 '() 6 " Onions per ton 1 0 0 Ore Bags per doz. 0 0 3 Peel, Candied per lb. 0 0 3 0 0 3 Pepper " Potatoes per ton 1 0 0 Powder, Gun and Sporting per lb. 0 0 4 0 0 1 Powder, Blasting " Rice per cwt. 0 2 0 Sacks (Corn and Flour), Bran and Gunny Bags per doz. 0 0 6 Sago, Tapioca, and Corn Flour ... per lb. 0 0 1 6 FrnsT ScHEDULE-Oontinued. £ s. d. Salt (except Rock) per ton 1 0 0 Shot per cwt. 0 5 0 Soap (not Toilet) 0 3 0 " Soda, Crystal 0 2 0 " Solder 0 2 6 " Spices per lb. 0 0 3 Spirits, Cordials, or Strong Waters (not being perfumed or medicinal spirits, to be used as medicine or perfumery only) for each and every imperial gallon of such spirits, cordials, or strong waters, of any strength not exceeding the strength of proof by Syke's Hydrometer, and so in proportion for any greater strength than the strength of proof, or any quantity greater or less than a gallon per gallon 0 15 0 Spirits of Wine, rectified, not being for medicinal purposes ... 1 0 0 " Sugar, 1}folasses, Treacle, and Golden Syrup per cwt. 0 4 0 Tea per lb. 0 0 4 Tobacco (manufactured) 0 3 0 " Tobacco (unmanufactured) 0 1 0 " Tobacco for sheepwash 0 0 3 " Vinegar per gallon 0 0 6 Wine (sparkling) 0 6 0 " Wine (except sparkling) 0 5 " 0 Wool Bales ... each 0 0 3

Second Schedule. On the undermentioned Goods, Wares, Articles, Merchandise, or things imported into the Colony, a Ditty of 20 per cent., according to the value of the same:-

Boats. Mantelpieces. Carriages, Carts, and Wagons. Marble and Stone. Cordials, not spirituous. Medicines, Patent. Doors, Window Sashes, and Frames. Mineral Waters. Furniture. Perfumery. Harness and Saddlery. Soap, perfumed (toilet and fancy). Instruments, Musical; Harmoniums, Pianos, Or­ Timber worked, Architraves, Boards planed gans, &c. tongued, or grooved, Laths, Mouldings, Palings, J ewellery, Electro, Nickel, and other plated Ware; and Skirtings. Precious Stones, Watches, and Clocks. Tinware.

Third Schedule. On the undermentioned Goods, Wares, Articles, Merchandise, or things imported into the Colony, a Duty of 5 per cent., according to the value of the same:-

Anchors. Canvas. Blocks. Copper Rod, Sheet, and Wire. Boilers, land and marine. Cordage, Rope, and Twine (including Galvanised Boiler Tubes. · Wire Rope). Bottles, empty. Disinfectants. Bottling Wire. Drainage Pipes and Tiles. Brass, sheet or rolled. Earth Closets. Brewery and Distilling Plant. Engine Packing. Cables and Chains. F elt Sheathing. 7

THIRD SCHEDULE-Continuecl.

Patent Materials for Wool Scouring. Forges, Anvils, and Bellows. Printing Presses and Type. Gas, and Iron Water P ipes. Pitch. Harness Mountings and Furniture. Resin. Hose, Canvas and Indiarubber. Shoemaker's Grindery. Housings, Saddlers'. Smelting Material and Plant. Iron Wire Netting. Soda, Ash, and Nitrate of Potash. Leather, American Patent (not being Oil Baize). Spars. Machinery for separating Cream. Staves and Hoops for Casks. Machinery (Agricultural) consisting of P loughs, Steam Engines and parts of. Harrows, Scarifiers, Rollers, Horse Rakes (parts Sulphur. of),Reaping, Winnowing, Thrashing, and Mow­ ing Machines, Machines for sowing Seed by Tin, block, plate, and foil. Horse-power, Moulding Boards, P lough Shares, Weigh Bridges. Horse-powers, and Chaff Cutters. Wire Cloth for Quartz Crushing Machinery. Machinery for Crushing Quartz. Work for Patent Slips and Docks. Machinery for Diving Apparatus. Zinc, sheet and plain. Mill Stones, and Machinery for Flour Mills. Oakum.

Fourth Schedule. On all Goods, Wares, Articles of Merchandise, or things imported into this Colony and not inclitded in the Ffrst, Second, Third, or Fifth Schedules, a Duty of 10 per cent., according to the value of the same.

Fifth Schedule. Goods Pree of Ditty.

Animals, Live (except H()rses, Horned Cattle, Machinery for boring for Water, Coal. and other Pigs, and Sheep). Minerals. Band Instruments for Volunteer Force. Metal Sheathing. Bells, Musical Instrume11ts, and parts of, for Outside Packages in which goods are ordinarily Places of Worship. imported, and which are of no commercial value Bone and other Manures, including all Fer­ except as covering for goods. tilisers. Paper especially for printing purposes. Books, printed, not being Account, including Personal Baggage of Passengers and Immigrants Music and Charts. (not including vehicles, glassware, chinaware, Coal. silver and gold plate and plated goods, and furniture other than cabin furniture), which is Cod Oil in bulk. imported with and by passengers bona fide for Coke ancl Fuel. their own personal use and not imported for Colored Glass for Church Windows. the purpose of sale. Fire Engines. P lants, Seeds, and Bulbs. Ice. Provisions and Stores, Military or Naval, required for Her Majesty's Service. Immigrants' Tools ancl Instruments of Trade, not exceeding £10 in value. Rails and Fastenings for Railways and Tramways. Iron and Steel, unworkecl, Bar, Sheet, Rod, Plate, Rock Salt. and Hoop. Specie, Bullion, and Coin. Iron , Pig. Uniforms and Appointments, Military, Naval, and Iron, Sheet and P late. Civil, imported by Officers stationed in the Colony, for their own purpose. Iron, Galvanised Sheeting, plain.

By Authority : RICHARD PETHER. Govel'nment Printer, Perth.