TARIFF NEGOTIATIONS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 303, 14 March 1928, Page 8

TARIFF NEGOTIATIONS

MANUFACTURERS’ PtU REFUSED FREE HAND FOR MINtSIB Press Association. WELLINGTON, Tuesoar. The Minister of Customs, the Hon. W Downie Stewart, in a letter received by the Wellington Manufacturers’ Association to-day, stated that he noticed that the association had receatlT passed a resolution to the effect flat no definite promises should be given in respect of any items that might he brought up for discussion by the Conmonwealth Minister for Trade ami Customs until the New Zealand mans facturers concerned had i>eea cor suited. “I think that on consideration you: committee will see that it is not practicable to deal with the matter in this way,” wrote the Minister. “As jus are aware, the object of the visit o( Mr. Pratten to New Zealand is to come to some agreement with the New Zealand Government with respect to trade between the two countries. ■ The Kim ister who is acting for either connnj must therefore be in a position, before negotiations conclude, to agree to certain definite rates of duty on i&rticilar articles. Any inquiry which is made so far as New Zealand is concerned must therefore— to be of real use—be completed before negotiator are finished. “If effect were given to the resdition passed by your committee it would be practically impossible to have negotiations conducted on a satisfactory basis, since manufacture! have their business organisations all over New Zealand. Further, If suggestion of your committee ware adopted how could the Governnmt refuse to allow a similar coursewHS respect to other goods than manufsetnred articles, and how could it justify not consulting with the nil® other organisations throughout N*» Zealand interested in trade and et® merce? Such a course would pt® tieally preclude completion of Hff agreement.”

tt -u VA 7% HS SfciSjjD* *«}: place it at the same J*fVLt £7,000,000 falls due in the of this year, £8,312,666 is j, year, £14,173,875 has to be 1929, £43,060,869 m *y{L Jl jgter £21,937,361 in 1931. The Job of Finance in the next Govern® be no sinecure. rX)B rSSO*