HenryBeny, continued. 9th :May 1883. 1492 50103. The dut;y last year was £7,498, that is equivalent to 7,498 tons. Have you anything further to say ?-I think I may say, perhaps, the same as the gentlemen som 25s. to 30s., leaving a little variation, according. to circumstances. . 50"115. Would 25s. be it ?-From 25s. to 30s. is perfectly safe for the W orcestershiro fine salt. Coarse comes much cheaper. 50416. What is the freight and charges for baggiHg and shipping before it is lauded here ?;_The sacks are 7~cl. each, that we p!ty a,t home now, and 4~d. for small bags, lcwt. bags; the freight is £1 to 25s. 50417. Then do not you think that that immense freightage is sufficient protection and encouragement to the salt manufacturer here?-You must remember that my factory is l 00 miles up the country, and to bring the salt down to Me1bourne is a very expensive item. It costs me just ns much to carry it that hundred miles as it does to bring it out from Eug·land. 50418. But. does not it cost the English manufacturer as much to bring it to the port <strong>of</strong> shipment as it costs you ?-No; where I get mine shipped from now, it only costs him a few shillings to deliver it: it used to cost more, but lately there are very large docks opened up at Sharpness, and this is in elose proximity to John Corbett's place. He is a Member <strong>of</strong> <strong>Parliament</strong>; he owns this immense clock in conjunction with one or two others, and they have built a very fine place. The ships load there almost close to the works, and we get the salt pnt on board at a cheaper rate than formerly. 50419. J)ut you cannot say your freight from yonr factory is anything like 25s. a ton ?-The freight from my factory does not cost me a.nything less at the present time than 20s. exactly, 50±20. You pay 20s. a ton ?-Yes, to bring it from my factory to Melbourne. 50421. Do not you sell a lot to go to the interior <strong>of</strong> the country ?-I sell some at Ballarat and other places, but it has to go away round via Geelong, after being carted eleven miles across the country in an opposite direction from the place where I want it to go to. 50422. At all events, you can see yourself that th6 duty is nearly equivalent to cent. per cent. upon the value <strong>of</strong> the article in the old country ?-I see that. · 50423. I must say that you are giving your evidence remarkably fairly, to my mind. Now, can you say if it be reduced 10s., it would be a large benefit to the curers and very little injmy to you ?-I feel this (you have been pleased to compliment me very highly in saying that I gave my evidence fairly, I desire to give it as fairly as I can) that the curers, being prejnclieed, will not use colonial salt to cure their meat as a rule. 50424. Is it not fair also to say this, that it is not a prejudice, because, according to your evidence, you admit that this salt from Worcestershire is so immensely superior to yours ?-I do not say it is so immensely superior to mine, because I say, as a matter <strong>of</strong> fact, there is very little difference in it chemically; and it is good enough for butter, and it pleases some persons better, and some customers like it better. However, the Black Horse brand has a name all over the world, and it has a very firm hold upon the people here ; but the name has ~omething to do with it ; ancl it is thought a better salt. I think we shall never be able in <strong>Victoria</strong> to make a salt like what that man makes from that article-[pointing to the clear crystal w!tite 1·ock salt]. 50425. By .Llfr. Mirams.-1Inless we find a deposit like his?-Yes; but ours is made from the water <strong>of</strong> the lakes, which is very impure, or from sea water, which contains twelve or thirteen other chemicals besides pure salt. 50426. By tile Clwinnan.-Do all our lake~ contain salt similar in quality ?-The lake I !Lm on is about the best I know <strong>of</strong>, but some are so impure that I could not possibly make salt from the water. I could get any amount <strong>of</strong> Glauber's salt and Epsom salts, aml various preparations <strong>of</strong> magnesia. You must thoroughly bear in mind I am not advocating taking <strong>of</strong>f the duty Oit salt, but I say I am in conscience bound to speak <strong>of</strong> things as I find them. 50,!27. By .1111·. Longm01·e.-Would not you think that salt should natnrallv bear its share <strong>of</strong> the expenses <strong>of</strong> the country the same as other articles ?-I have not the slightest objection to that, 50428. It is a legitimate object for Customs dnty?-Yes, I think so ; I did not think so till it was pointed out to me l'y Mr. Francis, when I waited upon him on one occasion, that takin"' it at a duty <strong>of</strong> £1 0 a ton, it would not make more than 1s. a tierce upon beef,
]493 50429. That being the case, and your industry employing 50 men, Jo not you think it would be wise to continue the duty ?-I beg pardon ; I woultl not like it to go forth that I say I am uow employing 50 men, for I am not. vVe are now very slack. In times past we have employed as nmny as 70. 50430. You employ a certain numbet• <strong>of</strong> hands making salt. _ Do not you think it would be wise to continue the duty to see if the prejudice again8t the colonial article will not pass away ?-I can scarcely express an opinion about it. I have said about all I can say about it. 50431. At all events it would be prejudicial to your factory if it were reduced to 10s. ?-Yes, it would, it would be so much out <strong>of</strong> my pocket. The witness withdrew. Adjo~t?'ned to to-1JW?'Tow, cot Two o'clock. Henry 'Berry. eonthwed. 9th May 1883, JAJYIES MIRAJIIS, W. M. Cook, Esq., J. A. Woodward, Esq., W. F. Walker, Esq., M.L.A., E. L. Zox, Esq., M.L.A., THUHSDA Y, lOTH MAY, 1883. Present: Esq., l\
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