WELLINGTON OPINION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 173, 24 July 1930, Page 10

WELLINGTON OPINION.

VALUE or INDUSTRIES BOARD

RECIPROCAL TARIFF.

(By ToJegraph.—Press Association.)

WELLIXGTOX, this day

The feeling of New Zealand manufacturers, generally speaking, seems to be that the new tariff will not help local industry as was suggested by the Prime Minister. Manufacturers and commercial men are more anxious about what the Budget will bring forth than they are about the tariff. Mr. F. Campbell, ex-president of the New Zealand Manufacturers' Federation, stressed how valuable would have been the assistance of an industries board, had one been in existence, in dealing with tariff matters.

"The uncertainty of the Government's proposals in regard to the Budget taxation is giving business men more anxiety than the tariff," said Mr. J. T. Spears, president of the Wellington Manufacturers' Association. "We cannot say the tariff changes are harmful. They only have the appearance of being revenueproducing, but on the other hand we cannot see anything that is of advantage to the manufacturers. Our raw materials,'which are subject to duty, will carry the tariff increase in parallel with .the imported finished product, so that the position from this angle is unchanged, and it.may mean that prices will have to go up. So far as manufacturers are concerned the existence of a development of industries board would have brought about a better balance in the change of tariffs. Perhaps our greatest concern should be not how the Government is going to raise the £800,000, but how it is going to spend it." "Personally, I think the Government is not aggressive enough in increasing the tariff on imported manufactured woodwork," said a director of a manufacturing concern engaged in cabinet and office furniture work.

"Owing to the operation of the reciprocal tariff Australia will be better off under the new tariff than Great Britain," said the director of a leading firm importing largely from Great Britain and Canada. "The reciprocal tariff with New Zealand cannot be altered in less than six months, and meanwhile Australia will be approximately 5 per cent better off than Great Britain. The primage duty has been removed, but the new surtax 'is worse than the primage On our particular line the increase in jroods imported from Great Britain and Canada is from 25 per cent ta 311 per cent, after allowing for the lifting of the primage duty. Where the tariff is higher the disparity is greater still."

The following statement was made by W. D. and H. O. Wills (New Zealand), Limited: — "The position is one which requires extremely careful examination. The effects of the tariff in various directions are more far-reaching than would appear from the reports published to-day." Inquiries among retail tobacconists revealed that manufacturers and wholesalers were not accepting any orders yesterday except subject to the new prices. Mr. R. W. Arnott, president of the Wellington Retail Tobacconists' Association, said: "It is rather early yet to say what the effect of 1 lie new duties will be, as no new price lists are out yet and the manufacturers and wholesalers have given no indication of what they intend to do. Doubtless cigarettes will be raised a penny a packet, which will bring them back- to the original ninepence."