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NOTES OF THE DAY

. Some observations on .the Customs tariff which were made by Sin .Joseph Ward when the report of the Industries Commission was under, discussion in the House of Representatives suggest I hat ho has given the subject less consideration than it deserves. He said, for instance, that it would be dangerous to make frequent and quick changes in the tariff; to do so would destroy tho stability of trade and the credit of traders. In a general way this is sound enough, but the lack of provision for quick changcs in the tariff when these arc necessary is one of the worst 'defects of the existing arrangement. The recommendations of the Industries Committee which ■ Silt' Joseph Ward criticised were evidently based in part upon evidence given by the Comptroller of Customs (Mr. W. M. Montgomery). In regard to the necessity of providing for the prompt adjustment of the tariff in. special circumstances; Mr. Mostcoiiepj suggested the enactment of the following clause, which carries its own explanation a.id justification:—!

Whenever it .appears to t'i» Minister nf Customs that tilie duty on any article or the. freedom from duty of any article imported info New Zealand, or proposed to bo imported into New Zealand, operates, or is likely to. operate, in an injurious,' unfair, or anomalous manner, either with respect; to the public or lo any industry or to any occupation, or whenever it appears to the Minister that trade concewiohs, whether by way of railway rates, shipping freights or otherwise, are being granted to soods r.xi)or(ed from countries other shun British dominions. as against goods exported from British dominions, the Minister may set up ail advisory cumniUtee consisting of not more, than five persons, to advise on the special subject at issue; such committee shall report 011 any subject submitted to it by the Minister, who may then by his order suspend the existing tariff on any article, or impose such tariff as he may deem just, provided that any duty or exemption from duty shall reeeivo the approval of tlio House of Representatives.

In further evidence, Mr. Montgomery said that it would be very desirable indeed to arrange that tile tariff could be amended at a particular time without throwing the whole tariff open' 'to amendment. Account, has to be taken also of theV interests of new ...industries, which in existing conditions are sometimes handicapped very seriously. It is in view of such conditions as have been touched unon that the" Industries Committee urged the provision of facilities for readil.v amending the tariff, and there is no doubt that within due limits the innovation would lead to important benefits.

A section of the Wellington members of the Returned Soldiers'* Association appear to be determined to plnco themselves and their fellowsoldiers in as bad a li(;ht as possible. At their meeting last evening some of these men insulted the Press representatives present in an offensive fashion until the reporters of the three local daily papers very properly left the meeting. Tt not infrequently happens that the Press in the course of its duty finds reason to differ from tlio views or actions of public bodies and organisations, and there are very few .newspapers which do not recognise the right of those they differ from to hit back in turri. For ourselves it has been our practice to allow ouj' critics a good- deal more latitude in our columns than the merit of their criticism sometimes warranted. But wc arc not prepared to place members of our reporting staff in a position which subjects them to syqh oJ'fcnsivcness as was directed against the representatives of the three dailv newspapers last evening, and it' is just as well that the U.S.A. should know this.

* * ■ * *' The folly of the tactics .pursued bv the irrcsppnsiblcs who arc seeking to dominate the affairs of the association m.ust be apparent to all who. view'the position 1 ;it all dis- • What, 'have they to train by running amuck against public sentiment and antagonising the Press? What stronger champions have they had for%all their reasonable and legitimate claims than tho newspapers of the Dominion which have consistently advocated their cause? And now because, those, papers will not blindly endorse the extravagant demands which havr been suddenly sorung on the community at the, instigation of an illbalanced section of the mop, the papers aiid. their staffs are branded as the enemies of the returned soldiers. The stupidity of this will be apparent to readers of The Dominion, who will have noted the consistent advocacy of the papc'r of the claims of the returned men to generous recognition at the hands of bol.li private employer!) and the State. Amongst the very reporters attacked are returned' soldiers, whose sympathies and interests naturally lie with those of their fellow-returned soldiers. We'quite recognise that the great body of the returned men do not hold w;tli the methods pursued by the extremists in their ranks, as was evidenced by what happened after the reporter's left the meeting last evening. . But the fact remains that injury is being done to the whole cause of the. returned men by the extravagant demands and-rcckles:; methods of a very noisy clement. Sojif. .progress has been made of late in organising the separate Forestry Department which (his country so badly needs to open up a highly profitable branch of develop mcnl and make provision for coiv tinned supplies of timber. Although, how-over, the Department has been established under rtn Act-ing-Sccrctary, and with small field

and clerical staffs, the Government, has yet to take the most important ■step of all in appointing a technically trained Conservator of Forests to plan and supervise the extensive measures of conservation and development that arc necessary. Such an appointment was foreshadowed some, time ago bv the Minister ok FoniiSTiiY (Sin Francis Bell), and it would be interesting jto know whether a selection lias yet been made. That men ol the right, stamp arc available is indicated in tin; fact that the State of Victori.\ about three month* ago appointed 1 a Forest Commission ojf three, members, two of them highly trained scientific foresters of wide experience. This country is all tlie more impelled to lose no time in appointing a qualified forester to take charge of the Department sinec a great extension _ of settlement on Crown and Native lands is in immediate prospect. As much in tho interests of intending settlers as for the sake of the future timber supply it is essential that such lands should be demarcated before areas suitable for-settlement are thrown open. Otherwise there, would be every likelihood of the destruction of good iorest on lands quite unsuitable for settlement. The protests lately raised in , West-land against th(, iiiiititution of a forest policy supply another excellent reason for bringing expert advice to bear. It is evident that no finality will be reached on such questions by any other method.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19190913.2.35

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 299, 13 September 1919, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,151

NOTES OF THE DAY Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 299, 13 September 1919, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 299, 13 September 1919, Page 6

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