Minutes of Evidence p.1401-1509 - Parliament of Victoria

1455
when we commenced as nmnufacturers, and besides that we suprJly the market it shows a great deal more John ll. Whitty,
conti-nued,
is being used. 3rd Mar 1883.
49158. Then it shows ihat your industry would not suffer. In 1880 it was £7,636, and in the
previous year it was £7,420. vVas anyone else manufacturing starch before you in the colony?-Yes.
49159. And in the face of that still the imported article came in here ?-Yes, and no doubt it will
for some time.
49160. Then how would your industry suffer in that pat·ticular branch of it by reverting to the
penny a pound duty ?-For the simple reason that the smaller the duty the more would be sent into the
market upon speculation.
· 49161. Then would it benefit you upon your principle to increase the duty ?-Xo, we would not ask
for it. In all things there is a medium.
49162. But upon your statement a great quantity comes in still and is sold at a low price?-Yes,
and no doubt if it were 4d. a pound, some would come still.
491G3. Then why not have a recluction in the duty ?-Merely to protect the industry in the
market here.
4916 1 1. I cannot follow you, you are not protecting the market if the article st.ill comes ?-Yes, I
differ from you, it is protecting it ; if the duty were a farthing a pound, stuff would be rushed into the
market here for speculation, it keeps the market here to a great extent for manufactures.
49165. If that were the case as you say, would not the consumer benefit thereby ?-That is a very
difficult question to answer. No one can answer that. It might or it might not benefit him. All I eau
say is, before we commeuceilmanufacturing, starch, eighteen months ago was 6d. a pound, and now the
consumer gets it for 5cl. .
49166. You do not wish to convoy to the Commission that it is on accmmt of your manufacture?­
I do not wish to convey anything, I state facts, and the Commission must draw their own conclusions.
49167. And next year it might be 8d. ?-The probability is it will not.
49168. A1·e you such a philanthropist that you wish to decrease your price ?-There is no philanthropy
in the matter at all. If a war should occur, or a scarcity of raw material, of comse the prices
would go up.
4$1169. You would increase the price of your article, would you not ?-That is very doubtful,
because a business man, who keeps his business properly under weigh, knows that the lower he sells the
more he sells-the better for himseif.
49170. But he keeps a margin sufficiently high for himself to protect himself ?-It is a general
tendency in all business to get as much as you cttn perhaps ; but it is not always business to charge so
high as that.
49171. Suppose we went back to ld. a pound duty upon starch, would it affect your business at
all ?-Yes, it would affect the industry.
4H172. In what way ?-It would create a greater competition with the home market.
49173. But would you continue to manufacture that article ?-That we could not say.
49174. Have you a doubt upon that ?--Yes; it is doubtful.
4!l175. Whether you would continue ?-There is a margin upon that now at the price we sell to pav
for working, perhaps; but I doubt if there was Id. a pound duty taken off at present, for the industry
is very young, that it would be continued.
49170. How m