TARIFF CHANGES.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 November 1921, Page 4

TARIFF CHANGES.

J FLEA FOR BOARD OF TRADE. WELLINGTON, Nov. 2d. ' A large deputation, rerpesentative of Dominion manufacturers, interviewed m tlie lion E.-R. Lee, Minister iu Charge . of the Board of Trade, to-day, for the » purpose of making further suggestions upon the tariff and Customs Bill. Mr ('. J. Ward, president of the Dominion Industrial Corporation, thanked ! the Minister on behalf of the manufacturers fur the improvements which hud been made in the tariff. Mr Lei l Had taken the trouble to visit manufactories and this had given Him an opportunity of making His weight felt in (lie revision of the. I a riff. The deputation wished lu express gi a tiliea Lion at I lie placing of Australia in the general iusLcad of the preferential tariff, hut they thought the preferential schedule should apply only to the United Kingdom. There were other countries of the Empire which were similarly situated to Australia. For instance. Canada produced good- from factories ill which there were large American interests, and it would Hu difficult to arrive at the proportion of its goods which were of British manufacture, lie thought, that proper protection could only lie given to local industries by placing the Failed Kingdom only in the preferential tariff' list.. Mr 11. I’. Burlier referred lo the dangers of dumping. Australasia laid lung Been looked on liy British and foreign manufacturers as a suitable place for . dumping suiplus stacks. New Zealand ; offered a lo per cent advantage com j pared with Australia, as its duties averaged 10 per cent compared with New Zealand’s Jfi per cent, therefore there was danger of New Zealand hemming the dumping ground of the world. The Minister: Ate you asking that New Zealand should put up an equally heavy tariff against England as does Australia ” Mi Burlier: Yes. ii is a fair tiling. We can’t semi our rugs imo Australia without [laying IU per cell!, lull they can send rugs into New Zealand at lo per cent lower. The Minister asked if the deputation desired a higher duty against Britain for legitimate trading. Mr Ward: That is a turn we had not anticipated. Mr Holland (('hrisli-hun-h i expressed a hope on Behalf of tin- federation that the Gun : iniiciil, would, not dispense with tin- Board ol' Tiade in conned ion with its i ell ouch men t proposals. They hoped tic- Board of Trade Lad come lo stay, for it had ii'o-c Ilian justified its existence. They hoped that a pennaiioiit commission would be set up In deal with Customs tariff icvisions, and tHa I Ibe Manufacturers’ l- cdei a lion w ould have tlie privilege .of representation the icon. Mr Lee replied Unit no Gmerniuent could produce a tin iff which j,leased everyone, Inti lie believed tile deputation would appreciate the change which placed New Zealand in a position to entrench itself against Australia and be in a' position t'o negotiate. It was far Belter to discuss matters with Australia from behind a" tariff wall than without. (Hear, hear.) He noted what bad been, said in regard to other countries of the Empire, and lie thought i lie was justified in saying that there would lie [lower to deal with those countries. Tlie Customs Bill would make i provision against dumping. "As for . the Board, of Trade,” said the Minister, “sometimes there is a good deal in a name, ami l do not think you can anticipate that the commercial interests of the country will not lie watched by some Government Department, but whether Llie Board of Trade will continue to exist as it is at present 1 am • not ahle to tell you. just now." Ho ; tliouglit Unit the recent exhibition bad proved to the people that New Zealand's manufacturing industries were a much superior position to that ot ' twenty-five years ago, and be only regretted that some industries producing good articles were not given protection in the tariff. This, however, • was a question of Government policy, which lie was not criticising. The dc- | pulation should, however, give tiie Government credit tor doing its best, tor many difficulties which arose when the tariff first came down lin cl disappeared. i^^wMßaSMWSKgsimsiiiSsiww^^