“ABUSE FROM ALL SIDES”

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 158, 24 September 1927, Page 9

“ABUSE FROM ALL SIDES”

HARASSED MINISTER MORE TARIFF DEPUTATIONS Press Association. WELLINGTON, Friday.T>EPLYING to a deputation from -L* secondary industries, the Minister of Customs, the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, observed that it was said that “the Minister could revise the tariff at once, but if he tried to do so twice he was a fool.” THAT seems to be pretty true,” he added. “It may surprise you that I still believe in the secondary industries of the Dominion,” he said. He was trying to help them, but members of the deputation did not seem to appreciate the enormous difficulties he was labouring under. There had been a steady stream of opposition against any increase in duties, but he had heard no suggestions from manufacturers and industrial associations except from what he had read in newspaper reports. The whole thing had been left at the Minister’s door. He had no personal feelings on the question of setting up a tariff board, but he did not think that Parliament would sanction a body which could have power to alter duties to any extent without the authority of Parliament. He was willing to submit it to the Cabinet if the manufacturers wanted a board. A member of the deputation suggested that revenue should be raised more from income taxation than from customs. “I don’t like the words ‘income tax’ just now,” replied the Minister. WARM EXCHANGES Manufacturers of New Zealand made further representations to the Government to-day on the subject of the tariff, a large deputation waiting on the Minister of Customs. There were some rather warm exchanges between the Minister and members of the deputation in reference to protection. The Minister pointed out that it was a very difficult matter for him to keep an open mind with regard to items in the tariff, while he was being abused from all sides. During a lengthy discussion he questioned the statement that they came to him as a united body. He received no help and no encouragement when he tried to help secondary industries. "Everyone is trying to cut each other’s throats,” he said, and later asked why there was not some organisation that could come to him and speak on behalf of the whole industry. Representations were being made from all sections, and the whole was very disconcerting.