TARIFF COMMISSION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19720, 10 December 1926, Page 9

TARIFF COMMISSION

QUESTION OF PUBLICITY BUSINESS MEN AND MINISTER WIDER REPRESENTATION ASKED After correspondence with the Minister of Customs, the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, the Auckland Chamber cf Commerce has modified its proposal that a}l applications by industries for higher protective' tariffs shall be dealt with publicly. The chamber now suggests that as full publicity is impossible, the personnel of the Tariff Commission be added to and made more' representative, especially of farmers and the consuming public. The chamber on October 19 passed the following motion: —“That any industry calling for an increased tariff bo required to publicly state its case, and ample time be - allowed for all interested to peruse such statement and submit evidence when deemed ncces sary.”

The resolution was sent to the Minister, with a letter expressing the - opinion that trade organisations and other bodies interested should he given full opportunity to express their views upon applications for higher tariff. The Minister replied as follows:— U I am afraid it would not be satisfactory if effect were given to this resolution. It will be evident to you and your chamber that if the inquiry were open to the public much of the information which would be most useful in coming to a conclusion upon the points which will be raised would not be* obtained. If, for example, a request were made that duty should be imposed upon some article' to encourage its manufacture in New Zealand, and some member of your chamber, who was an importer of the line of goods in question. desired to oppose such a duty, would bo prepared to disclose for the information of the public and his competitors the invoice value, landed cost, and other particulars of the' goods he imported? Yet this is the kind of evidence that might bo of great value in determining whctheY or not the industry was on which required consideration.

“Similarly a manufacturer would naturally object to information respecting the purchase price of his raw mate'riab., his wages bill, turnover, profit, etc., biting given in public. Such a course might supply his competitors with most valuable commercial industrial information which had taken the' manufacturer many years to acquire. “In the light of the above, I feel sure that you and your council will recognise that it is not in the be'st interests of the community that the proceedings of the body to bo set up to inquire into questions affe’eting the customs tariff should be open to the public.

“I trust that the members of your chamber and other chambers of commerce throughout New Zealand will recognise the importance to this Dominion of the fullest information being obtained and that therefore they will assist the Government by giving evidence wherever possible'. “I should perhaps add that it is proposed that some means should be taken to supply particulars for the information of the' public as to the articles upon which applicants desire that there should be an alteration in duty, but the steps which will be taken to achieve this object have' not yet been determined. If such action is taken it would, of course, be recognised tha*; the Government could not undertake to limit its .tariff policy to the articles concerning which such particulars had been published.” The chamber, in reply, has admitted that full publicity cannot well be' given to the commission’s proceedings, but states there is a need for safeguarding the primary producer and the' consumer in any revision of the tariff. It concludes: —“Some dissatisfaction has been expressed that the personnel of the commission announced in the press this morning is it not more fully representative of consumers generally, also of the' farming community. The chamber would respectfully recommend your favourable consideration the setting up on a broad basis (somewhat on the Australian model of an impartial board representative of all opposing interests, to deal, from a wide standpoint, with each application for an amendment to the tariff.”