RECIPROCITY AND THE TARIFF.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1414, 15 April 1912, Page 4

RECIPROCITY AND THE TARIFF.

The Christchurch deputation of manufacturers of agricultural implements which on Saturday last urged the Minister for Customs to endeavour to secure a free entry, for their goods into the .Commonwealth put forward a reasonable proposition. Agricultural implements manufactured in Australia are admitted to New Zealand free of duty, but similar articles made in the Dominion are not exempt under the Commonwealth tariff. This ccrtainly seems unfair to the local manufacturers, although the country settler of course gets the benefit of the Australian competition. The real points of interest raised, however, were first of all the statement by Mb. Booth, the principal spokesman of the deputation concerning New Zealanders leaving the Dominion for Australia, and secondly the Minister's views on the tariff. Mr. Booth apparently holds the opinion that the number of New Zealanders going to Australia to take up farming pursuits is sufficiently large tA make the question of the retention of their business in the matter of purchase of agricultural implements of enough importance to bring it forward as an argument in support of the deputation's request. Judging frorn the Press Association's report of the interview, Mit. Laurenson does not seem to have noted the importance of this phase of the position; at any rate he did not make any comment on the statement. Yet it is one calling for attention. Why should these farmers be leaving New Zealand in this way 1 As to the tariff itself, Ms. Lauhenson's view that it is desirable if possible to establish equitable reciprocal trade relations with Australia will meet with general endorsement, but the Minister does not appear to have any very clear ideas as to the possibilithis rcspect. The difficulty as he indicated is that Australia does not produce very much that can be profitably sent _ to New Zealand, which makes it impossible to arrange a treaty covering any material range of produce or manufactures. It is of interest to note that the new head of the Customs Department is a believer in frequent adjustments of the tariff. He is a bold man. Probably one experience of a Customs Tariff Bill in Committee would cure him of any further desire for repetition at frequent intervals. That there are many anomalies in the existing tariff, however, is well known, and 'it is .quite time that these were remedied.