BRITISH DUTIES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 154, 22 February 1932, Page 5

BRITISH DUTIES

(British Official Wireless).

ADVISORY BODY house of commons passes clause setting up committee members' qualifications

RUGBY, Saturday. During the debate in the House of Commons on the Import Duties Bill, the clause establishing an Advisory Committee which will be empowered to recommend the imposition of duties additionai to the general 10 per cent. ad valorem duty was passed. Mr, Neville Chamberlain, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said that although the word "judicial" did not appear in the clause, this' body was going to be independent of the executiye ahd hot subject to it. The fact that its members were appointed for three years gave them the necessary independence. It was essential, he said, to secure the services bf persons with the right qiialities. AlthoUgh a civil servant might properly be a member, it wouid not be desirable. He should "not be chairmah because that might give rise to the idea in the minds of the public that it was a Government Departmeht subject to the influence of instructions from the Minister. It would be inappropriate to appojnt as chairman a member who had been long associated in active capacity in the conduct of manufacturing or industrial businesses, or who had been a representative of a trade union, for the committee must preserve an attitude of impartiality. Nor did they want as chairman a distinguished economist. They wanted a man who had a practical working knowledge of business although not himself connected with manufacturing of distributive trades, and one who would command public confiderice.