Charles Avery Dunning (Minister of Finance and Receiver General)
Liberal
Mr. DUNNING:
The items which affected imports were two items of $3 each, old item 379a and old item 381.
Subtopic: CUSTOMS TARIFF AMENDMENT
Mr. DUNNING:
The items which affected imports were two items of $3 each, old item 379a and old item 381.
Mr. BENNETT:
Are you referring to
plates 40 inches in width?
Mr. DUNNING:
Under 40 inches.
Mr. MANION:
Will the minister give us
the imports under that item?
Mr. DUNNING:
The effective items were
379a, under which $1,630,000 worth came in; 381, also a $3 general item, under which $3,335,000 worth came in, and 382, under which 82,120,000 worth came in.
Mr. MANION:
The rates were higher
under the old item 382 than they are now.
Mr. DUNNING:
I am trying to give an
indication of what portion of that came in; It was only a small portion, I am advised. If I recite the old item it will no doubt clear the matter up. The old item 382 was:
Rolled iron or steel sheets or plates, sheared or unsheared, and skelp iron or steel, sheared or rolled in grooves, n.o.p.
Only the portion of that item which is under 40 inches in width comes in under the new item.
Mr. MANION:
Item 380(b) in the new
schedule is divided in the same way, and 379(a) is the same. They are all free under the British preferential tariff. So that there has been a reduction.
Item agreed to. Customs tariff-382. Hoop, band or strip, of iron or steel: (a) Hot rolled, .080 inch or less in thickness, n.o.p.: British preferential tariff, 74 per cent; intermediate tariff, 124 per cent; general tariff, 124 per cent. 2378 COMMONS Ways and Means-Customs Tariff (b) Hot rolled, more than .080 inch in thickness, n.o.p., per ton: British preferential tariff, $4.25; intermediate tariff, $6; general tariff, $7. (c) Cold rolled, or cold drawn, .080 inch or less in thickness, n.o.p.: British preferential tariff, 7J per cent; intermediate tariff, 12J per cent; general tariff, 15 per cent. (d) Cold rolled or cold drawn, more than .080 inch in thickness, n.o.p.: British preferential tariff, 15 per cent; intermediate tariff, 274 per cent; general tariff, 30 per cent.
Mr. MANION:
There is a reduction all
along the line.
Item agreed to. Customs tariff-383. Sheets, plates, hoop, band or strip, of iron or steel: (a) Coated with tin, of a class or kind not made in Canada, n.o.p.: British preferential tariff, free; intermediate tariff, 5 per cent; general tariff, 5 per cent. (b) Coated with tin, n.o.p.: British preferential tariff, 71 per cent; intermediate tariff, 12J per cent; general tariff, 15 per cent. (c) Coated with zinc, n.o.p.: British preferential tariff, 7J per cent; intermediate tariff, 12J per cent: general tariff, 15 per cent. (d) Coated with metal or metals, n.o.p.: British preferential tariff, 7i per cent; intermediate tariff, 121 per cent; general tariff, 15 per cent. (e) Coated with paint, tar, asphaltum or otherwise coated, n.o.p.: British preferential tariff, 7| per cent; intermediate tariff, 12J per cent; general tariff, 15 per cent. (f) Coated with vitreous enamel, n.o.p.: British preferential tariff, 15 per cent; intermediate tariff, 20 per cent; general tariff, 25 per cent. (g) Corrugated, coated or not: British preferential tariff, 15 per cent; intermediate tariff, 20 per cent; general tariff, 25 per cent.
Mr. BENNETT:
Referring to section (a)
I notice the words "not made in Canada". Are those words new, or were they there before?
Mr. DUNNING:
They were there before.
Mr. BENNETT:
Very well; I was not
quite sure.
Item agreed to. Customs tariff-384. Skelp, if iron or steel, hot or cold rolled, when imported by manufacturers of pipes and tubes for use exclusively in the manufacture of pipes and tubes, in their own factories, under regulations prescribed by the minister: (a) Not more than 14 inches in width: British preferential tariff, free; intermediate tariff, 5 per cent; general tariff, 5 per cent. (b) More than 14 inches in width: British preferential tariff, free; intermediate tariff, 5 per cent; general tariff, 5 per cent. The governor in council may by order in council direct that there be substituted for tariff item 384 in schedule A of the Customs Tariff, 1907, and the several rates of duties of customs set opposite said item in schedule A, the following: Skelp, if iron or steel, hot or cold rolled, when imported by manufacturers of pipes and [Mr. Manion.l tubes for use exclusively in the manufacture of pipes and tubes, in their own factories, under regulations prescribed by the minister. (a) Not more than 14 inches in width: British preferential tariff, 5 per cent; intermediate tariff, 10 per cent; general tariff, 12J per cent. (b) More than 14 inches in width: British preferential tariff, 5 per cent; intermediate tariff, 10 per cent; general tariff, 12J per cent. From and after the publication of such order in council in the Canada Gazette, tariff item 384 as it appears in said schedule at the time of the passing of this act shall be repealed and the provisions of the said tariff item as it appears in the last preceding subsection of this section shall be substituted therefor. The governor in council shall not direct that such provisions be substituted as aforesaid unless and until the governor in council is satisfied that skelp of iron or steel, hot or cold rolled, is manufactured in substantial quantities in Canada from iron or steel made in Canada.
Mr. CHAPLIN:
It is proposed here that
under certain conditions the governor in council may grant or allow a duty to go into effect when skelp is ready to be produced in the country. Does the minister know that in two or three mills in this country skelp could be produced within twenty days?
Mr. YOUNG (Weyburn):
Not economically.
Mr. CHAPLIN:
I wonder how the hon.
gentleman knows. I am not asking him, I am asking the minister, or somebody who knows something about it. If the minister does not know, someone near him may give him the information.
Mr. DUNNING:
I have not any information to the effect that skelp can be produced in substantial quantities in Canada in such a short time as that mentioned by the hon. gentleman. The evidence before me does not show it.
Mr. CHAPLIN; I know of two steel mills in this country which could produce skelp within a month if a proper duty were imposed, but it never will be produced under the proposed order in council. It is just so much "eyewash"; nothing more, nothing less.
Item agreed to. Customs tariff-385. Sheets, plates, hoop, band or strip, of iron or steel, hot rolled, valued at not less than five cents per pound: British preferential tariff, 5 per cent; intermediate tariff, 12J per cent; general tariff, 15 per cent. Item agreed to. Customs tariff-386. Sheets, plates, hoop, band or strip, of iron or steel, as hereunder defined, under regulations prescribed by the minister: Ways and Means-Customs Tariff (a) Plates, when imported by manufacturers for use exclusively in the manufacture or repair of the pressure parts of boilers, pulp digesters, steam accumulators and vessels for the refining of oil, in their own factories: British preferential tariff, free; intermediate tariff, free; general tariff, free. (b) Sheets, plates, hoop, band or strip, cold rolled, when imported by manufacturers for use exclusively in the manufacture of butts, hinges, typewriters or sewing machines, in their own factories: British preferential tariff, free; intermediate tariff, per cent; general tariff, 10 per cent. _ (c) Sheets, plates, hoop, band or strip, hot rolled, being mould boards, shares, plough plates, land sides or disc circles, when such rectangles, circles or sketches are cut to shape but not moulded, punched, polished or otherwise manufactured, when imported by manufacturers of agricultural implements for use exclusively in the manufacture of agricultural implements, in their own factories: British preferential tariff, free; intermediate tariff, free; general tariff, free. Item agreed to. Customs tariff-3S6(d). Sheets, hoop, band or strip, coated, polished or not, when imported by manufacturers of saddlery hardware for use exclusively in the manufacture of saddlery hardware, in their own factories: British preferential tariff, free; intermediate tariff, free; general tariff, free.