THE TARIFF.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 November 1921, Page 5

THE TARIFF.

VIEWS OF MANUFACTURERS. PROVISION FOR DUMPING. By Telegraph—Press Association Wellington, Last Night. A deputation representing New Zealand manufacturers waited on the Hon. E. P. Lee (Minister of Customs and Industries) ta-day, and put before him several matters connected with the tariff. Mr C. J. Ward, expressing displeasure that Australia had been put into the third schedule, said manufacturers desired the preferential tariff only to apply to the United Kingdom, and not to other British Dominions. Mr. W. H. P. Barber said the duty on British apparel entering Australia was forty per cent, and the New Zealand duty was 25 per cent., and New Zealand therefore might become the dumping ground of surplus British stocks. New Zealand manufacturers were in the position of having to face very-severe competition from countries where cheap labor existed, and he hoped some effort would be made to give manufacturers the safety they desired. Mr. Lee, in reply, said they were now able to talk to Australia from behind a tariff wall, and he thought he would be correct in saying that power would be taken to deal with other countries. The Customs Bill yet to be brought down would contain provision to deal with dumping. The interests of manufacturers would con-

tinue to be watched over by some Government Department, but whether the Board of Trade would continue as it existed today he was not able to say at present. He regretted the iron industry was not further protected.