THE TARIFF

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 40, 10 November 1921, Page 6

THE TARIFF

REFERENCES IN THE HOUSE MINISTER CLAIMS FAVOURABLE RECEPTION “FRANKLY A REVENUE TARIFF” Some discussion upon the tariff was an inevitable feature of the speeches delivered last night in the Budget debate. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr. T. M. Wilford) advocated reform of the whole system of fixing the tariff. Mr.' Wilford said he did not know whether the time had not come when the bringing down of tariff Bills should be abolished. The tariff proposals showed that the advisers of the Prime Minister might know (economics, but evidently they did not know politics. Mr. Massey: That is quite likely. You know politics, and you don’t know economics. Mr. Wilford said he had taken a list of items from the tariff schedules to show how impossible it was to deal with the tariff in the way in which the House had to deal with it. Every one of the items ho would mention was important in some form of industry or trade, and had a vital relation to prices and wages in New’ Zealand, and to industry in all parts of the world. Yet there was not a member in the House who knew what one of the items meant. Mr. Wilford proceeded to read a list commencing with "egg noodles” and including many other unfamiliar names. These items, he said, the House was expected to vote upon. Be suggested that there should be a permanent tariff commission in this country, acting on a definite principle, which Parliament should settle, to adjust tariff rates. The principle of taxation should be determined by Parliament, and its application bo made a matter of constant, or, at least, freauent readjustment by specialists. The Hon. C. J. Parr (Minister of Education), who followed Mr. Wilford, said that as far as ho could judge the tariff proposals had received a good reception in the country. Members of the House were not being overwhelmed with protesta, as would have occurred if the proposals had been unsatisfactory to tho community. “The tariff is frankly a revenue tariff,” said the Minister. "It will not suit the gentlemen who want high protection in this country. It has not attempted to suit them. It hits the luxuries, or the non-neeessaries, in the attempt to get revenue. But it does not affect tho cost of living. The breakfast table is left as it was. Dr. Thacker (Christchurch East): Do you call bananas and oranges luxuries? Mr. Massey: They are free of duty if they come from Fiji and the Islands. ■Mr. Parr agreed that they entered free from .British territories. He liked to see the local fruitgrowers encouraged. The tariff did not penalise the family man. Tho Leader of the Opposition appeared'to be disapi>ointed because, there was not a high tariff, but a high tariff would have increased the cost of living, and that would be most undesirable at the present time. The Minister added that he would watch the debate on the tariff with some interest. If the reception of the Government’s proposals by the country was a guide to Mie opinion of the House, the tariff would have a friendly reception from the majority cf members. z