TARIFF CHANGES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 390, 26 November 1932, Page 2

TARIFF CHANGES

harming industry AUSTRALIAN BUSINESSMEN CPNCERNED AT OTTAWA decisions. APPEAL TO PiRIME MINISTER. Adlaide, Saturday. Convinced that Australian secondary industries are jeopardised hy tariff changes of the Ottawa Conference, hp^inessmen from all over Australia will journey to Canberra for a special conference *with" 'the' Prime Minister on Tuesday. \ " "The president of the Assbciated Chamhers of Commerce (Mr. O. Seppelt) made this known before leaving"~ hy the Adelaide express for Melhourne yest'erday. •' Mr. Seppelt said he woud confer in Melhourne' with business men from Sydney and Brisbana and a policy on the tariff clauses of the Ottawa Conference would he decided upon. Australian manufacturers were perturbed at the possible effects of the' Ottawa agreement on the stahility of existing secondary industries and their development. Particular eoncern was felt over the proposals to delegate such wide powers to the Tarift' Board. That action was tantamount to p-lacing in the hands of the board the life or death of Australian industries. •The delegation, Mr. Seppelt said, would. be concerned mainjy ynith the clauses providing that protection hy jtariff should be afforded only tlhose . industries reasonabiy assured ' of succe^, apd that declaring that protective duties should not exceed' such a level as would give the United Kingdom full opportunity of reasonahle competition. Manufacturers believed that the Government was pledging Australia for ' five years not' to "increase protctive dutis, or to impose new duties, on the United Kingdom's goods, unless they were recommended ' hy the " Tariff Board. The Government had shifted the responsihfi'ity of fhe Qftawa A'greement on to the Tariff' Board, Mr. Seppelt conqluded.