IMPORT DUTIES

Hokitika Guardian, 21 October 1932, Page 3

IMPORT DUTIES

MATERIAL'S FOR INDUSTRIES. LABOUR PARTY POLICY. WELLINGTON, October 19. The Labour Party’s policy regardin', the placing of duties on imports of run materials for use in industry was ouilinud yesterday by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr H, E. Holland, in a statement in which he denied a report which credited him with saying that secondary industries which have to import raw material should not be safeguarded.

“I have never at any time stated that it wag the Labour Party’s viewpoint that drily tbfo.se industries natural to the country and which do not have to import raw material should ho fostered,’ ” Mr Holland yaid. ‘•On the contrary, I have always contended that we should shut out goods the ■ il<<> of which can be manufactured in New Zealand, and Ith-at goods _ (including raw material) which cannot h e produced here should como in duty free, n th<> course of my speech on the Customs resolution 1 argued in lever of taking the 3 per cent, primage duty off raw material used in New Zealand manufactures.

“I have carefully gone through the tfans'ii’d report of my ..speech and I cannot find therein any statement that Would hear out that portion of the report which credits me with having «ai'l that secondary industries which h;i v <’ i’-’-ort raw material ufiould not h" safeguarded. The confusion appears ‘•a have arisen from my remarks in relation to artificial silk.

“In speaking on this subject, I said : ‘I am advised by the Minister that we cannot produce this commodity. The nreseat duty is 10 per cent., but that is to be wiped out and artificial silk is to come in free. That is a method thj:t should be followed in the case of every article we cannot produce in New Zealand.’

It transpired later that both the Minister and myself in error in thinking that artificial silk could not bo manufactured lliere. Mr McCombs showed that it is being manufactured in New Zealand from raw material imported from abroad. However, the fundamental policy of the Labour party was in no way affected by chat error, and there is no difference of opinion, either real or apparent, between the views expressed by Mr McCombs and those of myself in this respect.”