IMPORTED GOODS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 265, 3 August 1921, Page 6

IMPORTED GOODS

A TARIFF QUESTION BRITISH AND PARTIAL BRITISH MANUFACTURES ' Marchants say that many goods are imported into* Now Zealand and Australia as British when they are only of partial British manufacture. Now. that the Customs tariff is to 'bo revised it is a matter of interest how far the Govarnmeht is prepared to accept such goods as British, and therefore entitled to a preference. The point cropped up yesterday at the meeting of the Central tChambor of Commerce, when Air. J. Hardie Shaw stated that it was a matter of great importance to the whole of the Empire to know that in the matter of optical goods and lenses British goods were the best in the world. In the course of his (remarks ha referred to a pamphlet entitled “The Photographic Lens,” which said: “It is a subject of national as well as personal importance (to know that English goods are superior) since herculean efforts have been made to perpetuate the fallacy that German lenses possess some mysterious superiority. The truth is that the former popularity of German lenses was solely due to the astuteness of our late enemies in inducing English opticians of worldwide reputation to manufacture their lenses under license. Why? The old ■ story—control of raw materials the manufacture of fine quality optical glass on a commercial scale having been rendered possible first in Germany by the aid of a substantial Government grant.” In support of the claim as to the superiority of British lenses, Mr. Shaw quoted Professor Cheshire, C.8.E., Director of the Department of Optical Engineering and Applied Optics at the Imperial College, and also Lieut.-Colonel J. T. C. Moore-Brabazon, M.C., M.P., who was head of the photographic section of the Royal Air Force during the war. Air. Shaw said that the idea generally held before the war was that the Zeiss and Goortz lenses were superidJ 1 to all others, which had never been the case. It was not only the photographic trade that was concerned. Almost every racegoer considered that he could not have the best glasses unless they were made by Zeiss or Goertz. He had used British lenses for years, and also had on his shelves lenses by Zeiss and Goortz, 'but ho had always considered the British lenses to be as good as, if not superior to,* foreign lenses. Mr. F l . Castle raised a question as to the point at which goods became "British goods.” He said that there were instances where 75 per cent, of the capital employed in the manufacture of goods was foreign and 25 per cent. British, yet 'such goods were allowed to be imported as British. Ho was of opinion that the Customs Department should satisfy itself that at least 50 per cent, of the capital employed was British. ' Mr. C. J. Ward thought it should be •75 per cent. British. Mr. Castle said that his point was one of misrepresentation. Goods were allowed to come in as British that were not British, but if they came in as foreign goods they should be made to pay the extra duty. He moved,-. “That the Government, in considering' 1 the .Customs tariff, should insist that 50 per cent, of the labour concerned in the manufacture of goods should be British before such goods wore permitted to come in as British." Mr. Shaw supported the motion. The chairman said that the time was coming when they would have to be very careful how they increased prices by raising the tariff on goods; no matter where they came from. If New Zealand expected to place her produce all over the world she must in return buy goods from the countries concerned. He believed in a sound system of Imperial preference, so that trade ’between the various parts of ..the Empire could be fostered generally, and all under the flag would benefit mutually. Mr. Ward said that much depended in trade, on whether a country was a debtbr or creditor nation. If the chairman meant that one country in trading with another must always pay for goods with goods, he differed with him, and instanced the case of England before the war, when she was importing hundreds of millions of pounds’ worth of goods not represented by return trade, lie believed that Imperial preference had a bearing on the question. The proper safeguarding of British manufactures would lead to better results all round, and do tvwa<y, <it all events, with, those goods which came in. under false pretences. The motion was passed.