I beg to move:—
(1) That a Customs duty of an amount equal to thirty-three and one-third per cent. of the value of the article shall be charged, levied, and paid on all bedsteads of whatever material made and on all component parts of bedsteads and on all furniture (other than bedsteads) made wholly or partly of wood and whether completely or partially manufactured and on all component parts of furniture (other than bedsteads) which parts are themselves made wholly or partly of wood imported into Saorstát Eireann on or after the 24th day of April, 1925.
(2) That where the Revenue Commissioners are satisfied in respect of any furniture which is being imported that—
(a) the importer thereof resides or intends to reside permanently in Saorstát Eireann, and
(b) the furniture had been previously used by the importer or by his family or household, and
(c) the furniture is being imported for the use in Saorstát Eireann of the importer or his family or household,
the Revenue Commissioners may, subject to compliance with such conditions as they may think fit to impose, permit such furniture to be imported without payment of the duty mentioned in this resolution.
(3) That whenever the Revenue Commissioners are satisfied that any partially manufactured article of furniture is imported for further manufacture and subsequent exportation, they may, subject to compliance with such conditions as they may think fit to impose, permit such article to be imported without payment of the duty mentioned in this resolution.
This resolution imposes an amount equal to thirty-three and one-third per cent. on furniture, including bedsteads, but except in the case of bedsteads the duty is confined to wood furniture. We believe that the duty of thirty-three and one-third per cent. will be sufficient actually to produce big results in the matter of getting the organisation, and the plant, set up to produce increased quantities of furniture here. Deputy Good suggested that in certain cases we did not put on a high enough tax to get results, and that instead of having a protective tariff we simply have a revenue duty. We believe a very small duty in the case of furniture would be only a revenue duty. We believe, on the other hand, this duty will produce a greatly increased output of furniture in this country.
It has been complained frequently that the reason of the unsatisfactory state of the furniture manufacturing industry was that there was no output amongst the workers. I do not want to go into that, to any extent, now, but I just want to say this: That we are providing the possibility of steady and increased employment for the workers in this particular industry and, if we are not able to build up then, perhaps, the whole matter might be one to be reconsidered after a fair term. On the other hand, I do believe—I am assuming for the sake of argument that there is truth in the suggestion—that generally you find if there is not good output amongst the workers the fault does not lie with them entirely. If there is good organisation in business, and good management, and good prospects of continuous, and steady employment, you will find that a good output can be got in one country just as well as in another.
I think that this tax will probably bring new people into the trade and will, certainly, cause the setting up of new establishments for the manufacture of furniture. It is expected to bring within a year or so, the employment of about 1,000 hands additional to the number employed at the present time. There are certain very good factories, well equipped factories, for manufacturing furniture at the present time. They will be able at once as a result of this tariff to be busily occupied. Other establishments will be set up to complete the equipment necessary to meet the demand.
As I said in my previous statement in regard to the cheaper class of furniture, a good deal has always been manufactured here. I do not know at the moment what the very recent position has been, but the normal position has been that a great deal of very cheap furniture has been manufactured here. I believe the effect of the imposition of this tariff on the cheaper class of furniture, the furniture which the worker will use and which many of the farmers of the country will use, will be slight indeed. As it is an ad valorem duty, it will come stiff on the furniture that is the furniture of the rich and the furniture of ornamentation, fashion and luxury. I believe it is a tariff which deals with a type of industry different from all the others, and even different from the point of view of the class of labour that it employs.
We believe that in completing and rounding-off the experiment of protection, a tariff of this sort is very necessary, and I commend it to the Dáil in the belief that it will give an industry which was one time carried on here in a successful way, and that produced stuff of high quality, the opportunity of being revived in whatever form modern conditions may require. It is an industry that does not require iron or coal fields; it is an industry that requires a certain moderate amount of power. It is one of the types of industry that we can afford to try to set on its feet here in the belief that it will come to maturity and in time be able to stand its own ground.