TARIFF POLICY

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 74, 29 March 1933, Page 6

TARIFF POLICY

TO BE ADHERED TO

GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, March 28.

Assurances that the Government docs not intend to depart from the established tariff! policy of tho Dominion in regard: to secondary indusliea wore given, by the Prime Minister, (the m. Hon. G. W. Forbes,) to a large deputation from the Auckland Manufacturers' Association which had made special reference to free trade propaganda carried on by certain farming interests. . '

. Mr. Forbes also stated that the delay in opening the tariff inquiry agreed upon at Ottawa was due to the fact that the British manufacturers' representatives in New Zealand were not ready to begin.

Mr. Forbes said that the v Governlnent's policy no xr] as in the past, was to givo reasonable protection to secondary industries in order that they might be firmly established. To this the Gov. ernmerit adhered, and there was no intention of departing from it. So far as concerned the idea that New Zealand should be only a primary producing country, he felt that diversity of employment was needed to •provide for people of different abilities and to place the Dominion in a more selfreliant position than it would otherwise occupy. New Zealand had built up a number of fine secondary industries which produced articles of high grado and well able to compete with others made elsewhere.

One of the Dominion's obligations under the Ottawa Agreement was to hold a tariff inquiry for tho purpose of finding out whether any industries ;were uneconomic, and whether in any respect the .British manufacturer did -not have a reaso'habto opportunity to sell in Now Zealand.' It would be realised; that Britain must pay for New Zealand produce in goods, and she had tho right to look for a fair measure of trade. The tariff preferences hitherto given were real, and were much appreciated in Britain. Moreover the New Zealand tariff was very low in comparison with that of Australia, and tho British manufacturer was given greater opportunities to do business. New Zealand, in fact, had gone to considerable lengths to keep her tariff at a reasonable level.

The Government had been prepared for some time past to open the tariff, inquiry. It had asked representatives of British manufacturers if they were ready to begin, and they had replied that they were not. Tho Government had been blamed for delay, but it could not set up a commission iintil the British interests were prepared to start. He was convinced that any difficulties which might be disclosed could be adjusted without harm-to any New Zealand manufacturers whose businesses wore being carried on efficiently, .j.