"A TARIFF WAR"

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 96, 24 April 1922, Page 4

"A TARIFF WAR"

COMMONWEALTH ATTITODE. ALIENATING FIJIAN SYiIPATHY. A through passenger to Suva by the Niagara this morning was Sir Maynard Hedstrom, who has been spending several weeks in Australia, where he met the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, who has been visiting the Commonwealth in connection with trade jnatters between the two Dominions. Sir Maynard remarked that there was no doubt that Australia had alienated friendly feeling as far as the Islands were concerned by her prohibitive tariff, particularly with reference to the banana trade. "The folly of the Government's tactics is very apparent. Its action is really very silly," he said. "And the commercial people in Sydney recognise that. I met the Island Committee of the Sydney Chamber of Commerce the other day, when they discussed the whole position, and suggested means for regaining the trade. They realise what .the future loss of the Island and transhipment trade will mean to Australia." He went on to say that he was a believer in Imperial preference, which was the policy of Fiji. Foreign imported cotton goods from all countries without the Empire, received a duty of 27$ per cent, whereas the British article was admitted at 15 per cent. Tobacco, spirits, and wines of all kinds, were subjected to double duty.

"You know, a tariff war between two parts of the Empire is really very absurd," he concluded. "I cannot really understand the Australian attitude at all. The trouble in Fiji is that we have not been able, or rather, have not been in a position to take action like New Zealand. We have only been able to utter protests."