NEW TARIFF.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 August 1922, Page 5

NEW TARIFF.

TREATY WITH AUSTRALIA. ANOTHER DEBATE IN HOUSE. THE BILL PASSED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. In the House to-night the Tariff Agreement (New Zealand and Australia) Ratification Bill was taken in committee. Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Avon) said that by the aid of a high protective tariff Australia had been able to build up a strong boot industry, and .the New Zealand boot trade had suffered considerably as a result of heavy importations of boots from Australia. He asked the Minister to give the New Zealand industry time to recover from that shock before he brought this agreement into force. Dr. H. T. Thacker (Christchurch Ea-st) complained that the Minister had done nothing to dissipate the idea in Australia that our potatoes had powdry .scab. It was intolerable our potato industry should suffer from the Australian embargo, which was kept on simply to please the potato ring of Victoria and Tasmania. The Hort. W. Nosworthy said the Government had taken steps to get the potato embargo removed many months ago, buf their efforts had failed, so that to charge them with neglect in this respect was quite unjustified. The Hon. W. D. Stewart said he had made representations to the Australian authorities regarding our potatoes, but curiously enough, while Australian experts condemned our potatoes, our experts were condemning Australian fruit trees, and the negotiations were complicated thereby. Mr. RJ McCallum (VVairau) asked the Minister to pass the first clause and let the remainder of the items stand over until the House was given further information. They ought to be told what financial loss or gain would come to the Dominion as a result of the treaty. Australia had postponed consideration of that, and for a strategic reason we ought not to rush it through. In new of the financial stringency, we ought to know what the financial effect would be. Personally he thought there would be a heavy loss.

The Minister, in reply, reiterated his previous statement that the treaty must mean a large increase in revenue, because our trade with Australia had practically ceased at present, and the treaty must mean the resumption of trade, but what sum of money is actually involved it would be pure guess work to say. Mr. W. A. Veitcli (Wanganui) said the motor body and chocolate industries had been sacrificed to enlarge Customs revenue. we had to decide was whether we were going to have revenue or industries, because it was certain we could not have both and a treaty with Australia at the same time. The Minister had given the whole position away, and it was evident that this treaty had been framed to bolster up the finances of the Government.

The Minister, in reply, said the Government’s policy was to assist our industries, but not to build up a wall so high as to prevent importations altogether. The schedule was then passed, and the Bill was reported froj> committee without amendment. The Bill was then read a third time and passed.