“WON’T GROW UP”

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1000, 17 June 1930, Page 9

“WON’T GROW UP”

PROTECTED INDUSTRIES MR. W. J. POLSON’S SUGGESTION Special to THE SUX WELLINGTON, Today. **The greatest objection to a protectionist tariff is that it never stops. “It is imposed in the first instance to let infant industries grow up, but no protected industry will admit to having grown up.” These remarks by Mr. W. J. Poison, M.P., were addressed to the Dominion conference of the Farmers’ Union at the opening session today. “The efficient industries get what they don’t need and the inefficient industries get what they don’t deserve,’* he continued. “How then shall we differentiate between the deserving and the undeserving industries? “To that I answer by making each industry prove (1) that it is economically sound; (.2) that the assistance it asks for is merited; (3) that it can come to a healthy self-supporting condition within a number of years. “It does not matter to the industry concerned how it gets its help, but it does matter to the taxpayer and consumer, A bounty payment to an industry, however, is a definite cost to the community, it costs the consumer no more than the payment by tho Treasury and its effects can be seen. Further, a bounty can be granted for a period to decline each year' until it disappears. I would rename the necessary tribunal a ‘Bounty Board.’ “By the establishment of a Bounty Board the efficient would no longer be helped When they didn’t need it, tho inefficient would cease to be a useless drain on the public purse, and the industry with a future would be able to make good by assistance granted over a reasonable period, but coming to an end at a definite date. Meanwhile the farmer and the consumer generally would be relieved of the costly customs tariff.’’