MINISTER IN REPLY.

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 57, 4 September 1926, Page 7

MINISTER IN REPLY.

Replying to the discussion, the Minister of Finance thanked members for the favourable reception given to tho Bill. Sir Joseph Ward had stated that there had been two, alterations in the tariff, but that was not so. The alteration made in April had been for the purpose of defining what were British goods, and to this end negotiations had been entered into with Australia and Canada. It was true that many English cars were not suitable for local conditions, but just recently a move had been made by English makers to produce a suitable article. As a matter of fact, some of these cars were already on the Australian market, and the Government.had thought that the present would be a suitable time to give some encouragement. It. was a fact that 50 per cent, of the cars used in the world were made by one American corporation, but in New. Zealand the percentage was somewhat lower — from 27 to 30 per cent. This would mean that there would be a smaller duty on the cars used by the man of limited; means. The Minister detailed the various increases in the duty on foreign cars that would result from the tariff alterations. ' He agreed with Sir Joseph Ward that they.should not continually tamper with the tariff; large interferences with the tariff should only be made at stated intervals. There had been no general revision since 1921, and another revision wag just about due. In concluding his remarks, the Minister defended the Government's action in regard to the timber'duties. The Bill was put through its final stages and passed.