BRITISH GOODS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 172, 23 July 1930, Page 8

BRITISH GOODS.

SHOULD BE TRUE TO NAME.

75 PER CENT CONDITION

URGED.

TO PROTECT THE USERS.

A point raised by Mr. J. A. C. Allum in connection with. the emphatic preference given to British goods is that there is more necessity than ever to be absolutely certain that they really are British, and not essentially foreign goods supplied through British channels. Some years ago, when president of the Auckland Manufacturers'' Association, said Mr. Allum, he- discussed the same matter with Mr. Massey, then Premier. At that time the minimum percentage of British material and work in the goods to enable them to carry the name "British goods" was only 25. As the result of negotiations with Mr. Massey the amount was raised from 25 per cent to 50 per cent,- but, Mr- Allum said, in Australia the percentage demanded is 75.

J "When it was 25 per cent," he said, I "it was nothing more than a ■ farce to call some of them British goods, and now that the Forbes Government is giving such generous protection to British manufacturers it is only right and proper that the users of those goods should be protected to the extent of knowing that they are truly'of British make; and that can only be done by the Government insisting that the British labour and material in such goods is at least 75 per cent of the total."

If the Government was after revenue, said Mr. Allum, he could not understand its attitude in regard to British and foreign goods. If the desire was to give protection to local manufacturers and give preference to British goods then the effect of the tariff was undoubted, and no one could quarrel with such a course. If, on the other hand, the Government was after revenue, as he understood Mr. Forbes to indicate, then the proppsals in the tariff did not seem to be likely to bring about that result. It seemed to him that the new tariff would seriously affect the importation of foreign goods, from'which a large amount of Customs revenue: was. derived, and in the case of foreign goods that must of necessity be imported—goods that . would come in no matter what the tariff might be — an undue burden would be placed on the users. .It did not seem right that particular users of particular .goods should, be penalised for no reason,