"LOOPHOLES" SEEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 113, 16 May 1933, Page 8

"LOOPHOLES" SEEN.

TARIFF COMMISSION. SCOPE OF INVESTIGATION. BRITISH IMPORTERS' VIEW. Largely because of its alleged departure from the terms of the Ottawa pact, the order of reference of tlie Tariff Commission has come in for some cnticisni*at the hands of Mr. James Hislop, chairman of the United Kingdom Manufacturers and New Zealand Representatives' Association.

"Anyone viewing tlie personnel of the commission," said Mr. Hislop to-day, "must feel satisfied to seo that the Government lias been successful in getting together a commission which will establish confidence in the whole community, and it is gratifying to see the commission has decided to visit the four commercial centres. This is as much as we could expect them to do. A close examination, however, of the order of reference will ehow an attempt ha« been made already to leave loophole* for escape from 'the Ottawa agreement. "The order or reference might have left unsaid the words, 'for the consideration of the Government.' The commission itself will have the confidence of all sections of the community to such an extent that everyone will desire its recommendations to be given effect. We do not wish for a second commission to be held behind closed doors of a Cabinet room, and the political importance of tlie recommended alterations there considered. The order of reference should merely have set before the commission clauses 7 and 8 of the Ottawa agreement, and the commission should have been instructed to give effect to these particular clauses. If the Ottawa agreement is to be given effect, it should be beyond the province of the commission to consider the- question of revenue. "Investigation of the financial, economic and industrial conditions of the Dominion and other relevant considerations have no place in the Ottawa agreement, and when all is eaid and done the commission ie the outcome of the Ottawa Conference, to enable the agreement, which has been signed on behalf of New Zealand and Great Britain, and ratified by both Parliaments, to be given effect. If, on the other hand, irrelevant matters such as requirements of revenue are permitted to interfere with the agreement itself, then we must remember Denmark, the Argentine and many other opponents are in the offing ready to take advantage of our mistakes."

IMPORTERS READY. SUBMISSION - OF EVIDENCE. SATISFIED WITH TRIBUNAL. Satisfied with the personnel of the commission, the scope of the inquiry - and the procedure to be followed in the taking of evidence, commercial interests in Auckland are completing their p-epara,-tione for the submission of. their representations to the Tariff Commission when it visits Auckland. i Mr. H. G. Thomson, chairman of the Auckland Importers' Association, stated to-day that the matter of representation of importers' interests was well in hand. Forms drawn up on the lines of those indicated in the Gazette had already been forwarded to members. Representations which members might wish to make would be collated, with the idea of unification and consultation. The importers' case would then be put before the cornmiseion, supported by the evidence, where necessary, of the members of the .association.

Ample Time Wanted. The liope that the commission would give ample opportunity to Auckland interests to submit their evidence was expressed by Mr. Harvey Turner, president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. "We don't want the hearing in Auckland to be a rushed one," 3io said. "Auckland is, the principal commercial centre in the Dominion, but there is the- possibility of too much time being devoted to the capital centre owing to the presence there of the head ofticee of some of the companies, as well ae the Government facilities."

Mr. Turner added that it was essential that all sections of the business community should submit their evidence to the commission in order that eatiefactory conclusions, in the light of those representations, could be arrived at. It had to be kept in mind that six years had elapetid since tho Customs tariff in N&w Zealand was the subject of compreheneive overhaul, and that another eix years might pass before the "next. In accordance with its. usual practice, the chamber itself was unlikely to appear before the" commission; the various interests of. which it was composed would themselves etate their caees before the tribunal.

"I have heard no adverse comment as to the procedure to be adopted by the commission in the hearing of evience," said Mr. Turner, who expressed the trust that the results of the investigation would lead to more freedom in trade generally and help substantially to lighten the exi&ting burdens on industry and commerce.