CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

Taranaki Daily News, 25 November 1926, Page 11

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

DOMINION CONFERENCE DAIRY CONTROL CRITICISED. TARIFF AMENDMENT URGED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Nov. 24. The conference of the Associated Chambers of Commerce opened in the Town Hall, with the president (Mr. Mackrell, Invercargill) in the chair. The Hon. A. D. McLeod, Minister of Industries and Commerce, was present, and addressed the delegates. Mr. Collins, secretary to the department, was also present. The delegates were welcomed by the Mayor (Mr. C. J. B. Norwood). Mr. McLeod said Ire noticed that there were many matters of importance to discuss, and it would be his duty to hear their representations at the conclusion. He mentioned the valuable work done at the Toronto Exhibition by Mr. Collins. Mr. Mackrell trenchantly criticised the policy of the Dairy Control Board. This year, he said, had witnessed the birth of an infant in our midst, armed with authority and powers which it was wielding in such a way as to well nigh wreck the household. When conceived by the parents, he said, it was much less harmful than it had proved since birth. It was surely teaching its parents how to do things, and was quickly providing for itself a lash which would not only bring about its own destruction but a family disruption from which it would take a long time to recover. If tqew Zealand succeeded in controlling prices of foodstuffs sent to Britain, other countries would attempt to do likewise, and soon the Homeland would find itself throttled and strangled by dictation of the prices at which it was to buy food. From Britain’s point of view the fixation of prices was economically wrong, and threatened the very life blood of the community. The past few months of controlled prices of New Zealand dairy products had been sufficient to show the. attitude of the British consumer an<L_the disaster that awaited the Dominion if it still insisted upon pursuing the mad policy of dictating the price of foodstuffs to Britain. Wellington, Last Night. The conference advocated that Income tax exemption to unmarried persons be fixed at £2OO. Some delegates said that unmarried women should not be taxed, while others thought the exemption figure suggested for males should he still farther reduced. In view of the United States substantially increasing its Customs duty on New Zealand dairy produce, a remit was presented at the'conference urging that the Government should amend the Customs tariff on American manufactures to discourage their importations; and with a hope of securing better treatment for our exported produce. Mr. Smith (Feilding). said that in 1925 New Zealand bought goods from America valued at £8,885,000, while in return America purchased from New Zealand goods of the value of £4,349,000, an adverse balance of 4} millions. ' After dis mission, however, the remit was rejected. NAVAL DEFENCE. The conference affirmed: (1) The necessity to New Zealand of the protection and maintenance of British trade routes, and urged the Government to provide for a more adequate contribution towards the cost of Empire naval defence. (2) That all goods coming from overseas should be marked with the name of the country of origin. (3) That the Minister of Customs be urged to continue his efforts towards effecting a more satisfactory tariff arrangement between New Zealand and Australia. Regarding the basic wage question, which was discussed, it was stated that notwithstanding the existence of a seriously adverse national trade balance, an increased rate of wages had become automatically payable. The formula upon which the rate of wages was calculated was based on the assumed domestic requirements of a m£fn, his wife, and two children. As only 11 per cent, of wage-earners possessed these responsibilities, the remainder were, on this basis, overpaid. The conference expressed the opinion that the burden of taxation borne by commerce and industry was too heavy, and was a hindrance to a full revival of trade. Further, that the present incidence of taxation had caused a regrettable diversion of capital and labour from rural to urban areas, to the neglect of our primary industries. Regret was expressed that the Government had failed to carry into effect the recommendations of the special committee on taxation in 1922, and of the unanimous report of the Royal Commission of 1924 and the principle of a graduated tax on incomes.

The conference urged also that power boards, municipal and State trading enterprises; which enter into competition with private enterprises, should be livable for taxation on the same basis as similar trading firms or corporations.