PRESS COMMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 October 1927, Page 3

PRESS COMMENT.

There has been it is staled, a marked decrease in Canadian dairy herds, so the chances for a market for New Zealand dairy produce in the Big Dominion are good if only the situation is properly exploited. AVitli an improved London market and the opening which presents itself in Canada, it would seem, therefore, as if opportunity were knocking at the door of the New Zealand dairy farmer, in which case it rests with himself to keep his ears open and hiss hand ready.—“AVangnnui Chronicle.”

The new tariff has been designed, after exhaustive inquiry by a Royal Commission, to stimulate and develop languishing industries and to help in the establishment of others. It needs speculative enterprise in most cases to take up and develop these sidelines, and times are held to lie not very opportune for speculative enterprise, butlooking hack on the progress of oilicountry it will he seen that a deal has hitherto been accomplished b ; v the courage and enterprise ol its citizens, who, with great faith in New Zealand, have laid the foundations of industries that are to-day the mainstay of our national existence. So will it he For the future. Opportunity has not yet exhausted itself in this, fair land.— “Poverty Bay Herald.’

The great hulk of New Zealand’s dairying is carried out in the North Island. "The dairy factory by-products available far pig-feeding require to he supplemented by grain or its by-pro-ducts, and nearly all the grain is grown in the South Isalnd. 1 lie cost of transport of the grain is an item so serious as to hamper the development of pig-keeping on up-to-date and profitable lines in the North Island dairying districts. This brings into prominence the unsatisfactory nature of the inter-island coastal service, and provokes comparison with what it once used to be'in point of frequency and freight charges. For this reason the demands of tho North Island in the matter of food for stock have inereasiugly been filled from Australia, instead of, as formerly, from the South Island. The frozen meat and dairy produce industries have exemplified the benefits of collective bargaining in securing freight reductions between New Zealand and Britain, and similar effort might bring about a restoration of better conditions nearer Rome.— Dunedin “Star.’’

A heavy stiffening of duties on all classes of goods manufactured in New Zealand would have been quite acceptable to the industrialists, hut the Government has to consider other interests besides this. The tariff, as regards protection, is a compromise, and as such must disappoint some who had put their own claims as the irreducible minimum necessary to satisfy them. Time, a little more consideration, nnd experience of its workings may modify opinion on it appreciably. Meanwhile it is hound to be assailed, because, ns already said, the perfect tariff or the tariff that will satisfy everybody, has yet to lie devised.— “New Zealand Herald.” It is difficult to discern the particular features of the tariff under which the Minister’s promise that the taxpayer will be recouped the extra payments lie lias to make in respect of income tax can possibly ho realised. Tt may lie suspected that the salaried man who has his income tax raised by anything from 20 to 40 per cent, will demur strongly to any suggestion that a reduction in the duties on cash registers or adding machines is likely to he of any real Ivenefit to him. It is to be remarked that the Minister has not committed himself to any estimate of the amount of additional revenue, which the increased duties will | produce. It seems most probable that ' ( the tariff will serve the purpose, dtir-i ing the current year, of swelling Hie Customs receipts to a material degree. —“Otago Daily Times.”

Our Government has bent all its energies in one direction, namely, the reduction of the debt. In itself that is a praiseworthy object, hut if it is accomplished by maintaining too high a scale of taxation it is indefensible. What the Canadians term the medium course, debt reduction accompanied by moderate tax production, would he more beneficial, especially at the present time. This is the policy which we have urged the Government to adopt. It would afford all section of the community some encouragement. In times of prosperity the taxpayers contributed some millions in excess of tlio Government’s requirements, and they have every reason to expect that, in times of depression, at least some of the surplus will ;be used to- lighten the load. Mr Stewart has made comparisons with other Dominions to demonstrate the moderation of his demands, and it would be of value if he would compare the one-sided policy of the Government in the matter of debt and tax reduction with the more equitable system in operation in Canada. Tlieirs is the better way.—“Lyttelton Times.”