The Hokitika Guardian TUSDAY, OCTOBER 18th, 1921. THE TARIFF.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 October 1921, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian TUSDAY, OCTOBER 18th, 1921. THE TARIFF.

This revision of tlie customs tarilf will i*lio engaging the attention of Parliament very soon now. The questions of protection are sure to crop up, anil i produce ■mi'll controversy. Doubtless, however, the Government's chief conI corn will he to seen re mow money. ] There has been something of a luii-vest ( of late in customs revenue, due to the | great excess fit imports brought tot® | the country. The impending new ■ tariff has had its scare effect also in ' Ike heavy clearance of dutthble goods, the tariff of which is to isise. This invariably happens when a new scale of duties is forecasted. The whole suhieet of tariff reform was lately reviewed hv a Royal Commission, and the Government will have the report for guidance. During the tour of the Commission manufacturers in New Zealand did not fall to press their claims for increased protection to safeguard local industries. The New Zealand

farmers are feeling a little uneasy ns to the form that tnr|if revision will take when it comes before Parliament this session. It is felt that their own particular interests will he regarded as secondary when local manufacturers’ claim for more protection are before our common-law makers. The commission that, has been taking evidence i» understood to have been very much impressed bv the claims put forward far special- consideration of the manufacturing industries of New Zealand. The president of the Commission was the Comptroller of Customs, who has a very wide experience of trade, but who also has. so the farmers say. a decided leaning towards Hie secondary industries of the Dominion. Associated with him was the President of the New Zealand Board of Trade and officers of the Customs service subordinate to the Comptroller. The farmers have a little grievance against the chairman of tho Board o.f Trade for some real or fancied hostility which, they say, lie has shown towards them in the matter of fixation of prices for wheat, butter, and some other articles that were the subjects of Government price regulation. They, therefore, think that he will lint he particularly interested in seeing that any revision of the tariff will hr of material assistance to (he producer. There are no real grounds for thinking that the chairman of the Board of Trade will recommend anything being done contrary to wlmt he conceives to he in Hi,, general interests of the •ommunity. But an incident occurred a little time hack that gave „ui?o for much uneasiness on the part of importers. The Government sprang a surprise upon them all by order-in-eouueil prohibiting the importation of

gas stoves into New Zealand except under nuiditons and subject to permit. The order was practically an absolute prohibition of the inqmrt of the article in question. The Dunedin Chamber of Commorcc, one of the most important chambers in New Zealand, and one of tho most active and influential. immediately protested against such drastic action. The only reason vouchsafed by the Government was that the order was made in the interests of some gas stove makers in Now Zealand who wore apprehensive that English imported stoves would interfere with their business, as they could not make and sell them so cheaply as those that were being imported. Tt was less tho gas stoves that mattered than this introduction of a system of arbitrary Customs costrol of trade in such a, wsv as importers could nut hope to cope with. It was felt that the Comptroller was assuming functions that rightly belonged to Parliament- However, ho was acting quite legally and within his powers and was fully supported by the Minister for Customs; hut the order lias left, a very unsatisfactory feeling among those whose business is mainl\ importing, ft is unthinkable that New Zealand can become a maniiaetiiring country .as Australia aspires to he, for at least, a generation, fts strength lies in its production of the fruits of the soil, its mines, its forests- the tilings that will always command a market. The villus of til,, exports of every description of goods from New Zealand, including specie, parcel post, returned imports and everything else, was £50.07:1.7.(18; of this £40.777.!)R!) was the value off produce of New Zealand fa ruiers. graziers, miners, timbre cutters etc. This was for the twelve months ended April 30; hut it is typical. The chief industries already established arc lauds and shoes, agricultural machinery to a limited extent clothing, confectionery, and biscuit baking. The quality ol the goods turned out is satisfactory; hnt the output is nothing nearly sufficient to satisfy tho local market. There can he no doubt that the people of New Zealand are paying a very long price for both imported and locally made articles of the same description in the form of duty and first cost for the privilege of having among them some of the industries of New Zealand, which arc described as secondary to distinguish them from agricultural, pastoral, mining, and other similar industries.