TARIFF REVISION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 108, 10 May 1933, Page 8

TARIFF REVISION.

COMMISSION OF FOUR. DR. CRAIG CHAIRMAN. ECONOMIST INCEDDED. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON", this day. The Et. Hon. J. Ci. Coates, as Min- j istcr of Customs, announced to-day that the following have been appointed a commission to revise the tariff in accordance with the Ottawa agreement: Dr. G. Craig, Comptroller of Customs (chairman), Trofessor B. E. Murphy, Hon. J. B. Gjw (Opotiki), and Mr. G. A. Pascoe (Christchurcli). The commission's order of reference is defined as follows:— '"To inquire into the Customs tariff of New Zealand and to reeommend for consideration by the Government any alterations therein, having regard to the existing trade agreements to which New Zealand is a party, and particularly to the agreement concluded at Ottawa in 1932, between His Majesty's Governments in the United Kingdom and in New Zealand; to the financial, economic and industrial conditions in the Dominion; to the reasonable requirements cfjocal industries, which are being conducted in an efficient manner and are economically justifiable; and to all other relevant considerations."

The proceedings will be open to the public.

The outstanding feature of the personnel of the commission is that, contrary to the usual practice, it has all the form of an independent tribunal, over which the sole Government representative, Dr. Craig, will preside. In the past, tariff commissions have in many inotances been composed of Departmental representatives only. The last overhaul of the New Zealand Customs, tariff was undertaken in 1927, and on that occasion the members were all Government officials, Dr. Craig being the chairman.

Dr. Craig, C.M.G., LL.D., has filied the position of Comptroller of Customs for ten years. He entered the Customs Department as a cadet at Timaru in 1S!)1. when IS years of age. He rose rapidly in the service and, after being assistant Comptroller of Customs lor ten years was appointed head of tlio Department in 1923. In 1927 Dr. Craig was chairman of the commission which revised the Dominion's tariff. He accompanied the Prime Minister to the 1930 Imperial Conference in London. Early last year he accompanied the Hon. W. Downie Stewart to Honolulu to negotiate the trade treaty between New Zealand and Canada, and later he was a member of the New Zealand delegation to the Ottawa Conference.

Professor Murphy has been, professor of economies at Victoria University College, Wellington, for 13 years. He was educated in Otago and before his appointment to the chair of economics at Victoria College was in legal practice at Feildiug for some yearn.

The Hon. J. B. Gow, a former legislative councillor, has been intimately connected with the dairy industry in the Bay of Plenty for many years, and is a director of several companies closely associated with primary- production.

Mr. G. A. Pascoe is manager of Anderson's, Ltd., engineers, Christchurch. He is a member of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, and is the newly-elected chairman of the Development of Industries Committee.