EMPIRE TARIFF PROBLEMS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 923, 17 March 1930, Page 8

EMPIRE TARIFF PROBLEMS

VISCOUNT CRAIGAVON, who has returned to London after his visit to New Zealand, had some interesting remarks to make upon the attractions of this country, and its possible attitude to the Empire Free Trade ideals toward which certain elements in British politics are aiming. Discussing New Zealand’s claims upon British tourists, Lord Craigavon rightly deplores the prevailing tendency of wealthy English people of leisure to spend their holidays in Continental and foreign resorts, and in travel on foreign ships, when they might enjoy the same if not more pronounced advantages by travelling upon British ships, and by visiting British possessions. In his discussion of New Zealand’s possible attitude toward a scheme of Empire Free Trade, Lord Craigavon is hardly correct in stating that such a policy would be “acclaimed” in New Zealand. No policy by which manufactured articles competing with New Zealand products may be admitted here to the detriment of New Zealand industrial concerns and to the disadvantage of New Zealand capital and labour will be acclaimed in this country without the fullest investigation. This attitude does not imply any weakening of the ties of Empire loyalty; but New Zealand lias the interests of hex* own population to study first. Everywhere there is evident a steady conversion to the necessity of some forms of assistance for industry. In New Zealand this change is evident in the editorial columns of newspapers which, after ignoring for years every claim of local industries upon their respect and sympathy, have now rallied to the support of The Sun in its consistent crusade for political and public support of New Zealand-made products. In England, the change is shown in such utterances as .that credited in today’s cables to Mr. W. Graham, President of the British Board of Trade, who, though a Free Trader by past convictim, now hints that Protection may yet be adopted in free trade countries like Britain. Mr. Graham sees that distressing conditions have revived and strengthened the desire for Protection. Thousands of British people are out of work, while a flood of such products as motor-ears, fairies, radio sets, cinema films, crockery, and even footwear, lias been sold in Great Britain through the open door of her tariff arrangements. It is true that in some classes of industry, as to motor-cars under the McKenna duties, a measure of protection lias been granted, but even in these cases it has been granted with extreme diffidence and no guarantee whatsoever of permanence. Tii these circumstances the demand for Protection and the instincts of survival will yet move political parties pledged to theories rather than realities.