TARIFF PROBLEMS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1001, 18 June 1930, Page 12

TARIFF PROBLEMS

DISCUSSION AT FARMERS’ CONFERENCE EMPIRE PREFERENCE WELLIXGTOX, Today. ! Somi time tvas devoted yesterday by the New Zealand Farmers' Union Con-1 ference to a debate un fiscal questions. The effect of tariffs on industry was the subject of the first remit, while; there were about a dozen on the sub- i jeet of greater preference to Great Britain, Empire preference, and the total abolition of tariffs. The Auckland branch forwarded a ’ remit "that the conference considers i - ■ - lisbed or to compete with unfair com- j petition from overseas, such assistance should be given by means of a subsidy, and then only after a thorough and j public investigation of the circumstances.'’ Air. It. 11. Forest, of Cambridge, said : the tariff was not an assistance to | industry and lent itself to profiteers, j as the retailer made a profit over the | increased landed cost which would not! apply to a subsidy. It also increased! the price of the local commoditv. Sub- ! sidies were paid direct and need not be I continued indefinitely. Tariffs were a family tax, and in that respect were ! most unfair, while a subsidy was borne I by the community as a whole, through j the Consolidated Fund. Air. F. Colbeck quoted figures to show the increased added cost to the consumer owing to the profit put on by the tariff. If they had a system whereby people knew what they were actually paying the tariffs would not last three weeks. The remit was carried. The conference then considered several remits which recommended, briefly: (1) An increased duty on imported foreign goods, with duties on ■ manufactured goods from the British i Isles to be removed or considerably re- ; duced: (2) higher tariffs on goods from | foreign countries with which there is : an adverse trade balance; (3) the! gradual abolition of tariffs against' Great Britain; (4) free trade: (5) Em- 1 | pire preference; (6) the limitation of ! imports from America to the value of | j goods taken from New Zealand by the • i LJnited States; (7) additional taxation \ I° n motor-cars imported from America. ! _ The Mid-Canterbury delegate, Mr. G. j Tait, drew attention to the imports of ' cars and petrol from America, saying : that New Zealand had a tremendous . adverse balance of trade. The prp- : posai would *riye them a better market I’ n Great Britain. It would oe worth : while. j Air. 11. AT. Rush worth said the same, j effect could be reached by decreasing j the tax on British goods and increas--1 the tax on foreign goods. The ? matter of exchange would have to be : settled. The question wa.s more fari reaching than they realised and a reduction in the tax was a. vital neces- ; sity for the Dominion and the Empire ! The president, Air. W. J. Bolson, caid they could bring about a reduction in costs by readjusting taxation, taking off the tariff to reduce the cost of living and increasing the tariff on luxuries. The conference then argued whether the various remits on the subject could not be consolidated and finally a committee consisting of Messrs. Colbeck. Stuckey, Revie and Alulholland was elected to put this into effect for consideration at the next session. Subsequently the committee recommended that the following - remits be submitted to the conference: “That, as Great Britain, our principal customer, has no protective tariff against New Zealand products. a gradual reduction with a view to abolition should be made in the protective duties imposed against the products of Great Britain.” “That this conference definitely i affirms the principle of Empire prefer - | once and requests that increased pref- ! crential duties should be imposed to • encourage trade within the Empire.” Amendments were proposed and j defeated, and the two remits reconii mended by the committee were adopted.