34. Mr. NEWDEGATEasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that the Australian Commonwealth charge 1d. Customs Duty on a single catalogue sent by post from England, which causes hindrance to commercial relations between the Mother Country and the Colonies; and whether he will endeavour to get this matter altered?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Mr. Harcourt)Under the Commonwealth of Australia Customs Tariff, trade catalogues are liable to a duty at 6d. per pound, or 35 per cent, ad valorem, whichever rate returns the higher duty. In cases, however, where the total duty on any one mail addressed by any one consignor to any one State of the Commonwealth does not exceed 1s., the payment of duty is waived. Representations as to the effect of this duty on trade between this country and the Commonwealth have on several occasions been made by firms engaged in trade with the Commonwealth and have been brought under the notice of the Commonwealth Government, but that Government has not seen its way to alter the duty, and I do not think that any useful purpose would be served by further representations at the present time.