Soap-Users

Nz Hits Samoan

Sudden Export Levy Applied

APIA, June 20. rpHE sudden imposition by New J. Zealand of a levy amounting to £3l per ton on soap imported into Western Samoa was criticised at a recent meeting of the Apia Chamber of Commerce.

For years no levy had been im posed on soap exported by New Zealand to Western Samoa, the Cook Islands and Niue, although soap exports to other countries are subject to it (New Zealand Govern ment is paying a subsidy on tallow to keep the price of soap down with in the Dominion). Western Samoa believes that it is entitled to prefer ential treatment because the Terri tory has sold thousands of tons of copra to New Zealand at the same price as received under contract with the British Ministry of Food, and which was far below world parity.

It is now argued by some members of the Chamber that the sudden imposition of the levy is in the nature of retaliation caused by the recommendation of a Select Com mittee of the Legislative Assembly that preferential tariff on British goods be abolished.

The Chamber decided to ask the

Samoan Government to find out the reason why the levy should apply in the case of Western Samoa and not in the cases of the Cook Islands and Niue. (The new impost should boost the sales in Western Samoa of Island manufactured soap and be an in centive to the Apia shareholders who formed a small company a few months ago with the purpose of manufacturing soap in the Terri tory. Little has been heard of the new soap company since its forma tion) .