ONE-FOURTH BRITISH.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 15 July 1924, Page 5

ONE-FOURTH BRITISH.

AUSTRALIA TAKING ACTION. The Federal Minister of Trade and Customs (Mr H. E. Pratten) shares the view expressed hv the Prime Minister of Now Zealand in regard to the results of the preference policy in the case of goods that have only 25 per cent, of British workmanship in them. “We are giving a full preference,” raid Mr Pratten last, week in Sydney, “to goods from the Motherland, as long as they contain only 25 per cent, of British workmanship or material, that is to say, even if so-called British goods are sent us, containing up to 7n per cent., of foreign material or manufacture, provided that 25 per cent, of the value, free on board at shipping port, is British. The effect of this is practically to place a premium on the importation into Britain of cheap Continental partially-manufactured goods, and displace employment, in the Mother Country itself. To my way of thinking, this is not the spirit in which the tariff was framed, and I propose giving t-liis matter earnest attention, so that foreign countries shall not continue to reap part of the advantages that were intended for Great Britain onlv. ’ ’