The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, APRIL 3, 1933. TARIFF REVISION.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 April 1933, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, APRIL 3, 1933. TARIFF REVISION.

In connection with the Canada agree? meets all assurance was recently given by the Minister of' Finance that preparations for thp promised inquiry by New Zealand wpre in progress and that the Government wore in communication with the British Government on the matter, At the conference both Canada and Australia promised that United Kingdom producers should have “full rights of audience before the Tariff Board,” but a similar right could not be formally acknowledged by New Zealand since it does not possess a permanent tariff board and the method of inquiry 'had not been determined when the agreement was signed. Therp are other differences in the phraseology of the tariff revision undertakings. Whereas New Zealand has undertaken to reduce excessive protective duties “as speedily as possible,” both Canada, au-( l Australia are pledged to review their tariffs “as soon as practicable.” In the ease of Canada, action is explicitly dependent upon requests by the British Government for review of specified duties. So far the fair BCDcliing ,I’pvision of protective tariffs contemplated by the Ottawa agreements has only been initiated in Australia with a warning that it will be a laborious and protracted task; Canada- has not moved further than the appointment of the investigating tribunal‘and is waiting for references from Britain; New Zealand lias not advanced beyond the stage of preliminary consideration of procedure. Certainly Australia has made some tangible concession, in accordance with the advice of the Tariff Board, but since its recommendations were made without investigating relative costs, it is Impossible to say whether the reduced duties permit “reasonable competition on the basis of the relative costs of economical and efficient production.” But even if Canada may be complacently awaiting action by Britain, and Australia may be awed by the formidable task of simplifying her complicated tariff, New Zealand is not handicapped l>y any such inhibitions. There is no reason why, comments a northern writer, the Government should not set an example to the other Dominions in harmony with the significant phrase in its pledge to reduce duties “as aoeedily as possible.” The appointment of the investigating tribunal, the determination of methods of inquiry. including an itinerary of sittings for the hearing of evidence, a definition of the manner in which evidence should be presented, and an announcement of the limits within which confidential evidence will he accepted are all matters that should he presented, and an announcemeni of the limits within which confidential evidence will he accepted are all matters that should he concluded promptly. Plans should be made to complete a substantial measure of revision during th next session of Parliament and -since its opening is provisionally fixed for August there are only four or five months for the prosecution of inquiries that cannot and should not be limited to arbitrarily selected protective- duties. freven months have elapsed since the Ottawa agreement was signed; it is surely time that positive action toward the fulfilment of its pledge was announced.