IMPERIAL TRADE

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15174, 12 January 1915, Page 8

IMPERIAL TRADE

TO BIND THE EMPIRE

TOGETHEB.

THE OPPORTUNITY OF A

CENTURY.

INTERVIEW WITH MR F. M. B. FISHER. An interesting and valuable interview upon reciprocal trade with Australia, the revision of the tariff in New Zealand, and tho means whereby the present crisis may bo utilised to bind together in the bonds of trade the different parts of the Empire, was accorded a "Press" representative yesterday by Mr F. M. 13. Fisher, late Minister of Customs. During his tenure of office Mr Fisher specially devoted himself to the subjects of increased and reciprocal trade with Australia, aud the revision of the New Zealand tariff, and proved himself to bo probably the most progressive administrator of this Department that the Dominion has ever had, so that his words upon these topics carry special weight.

Referring to the visit to the Dominion of the Right Hon. A. Fisher, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth, and the remarks which ho has made upon the need for reciprocity between Australia and New Zealand, the interviewer asked the ex-Minister for his views. "I should say," replied Mr Fisher, "that there is really very littl© to be said at the present time, since an agreement has been already negotiated, and lies in tho hands of the Governments of the Commonwealth and of New Zealand awaiting ratification. It wa-s exceedingly unfortunate that after Mr Tudor and myself had completed th c agreement last year the Commonwealth Labour Government was put out of office, and was succeeded by Mr Cook, who had to carr} , on for twelve months with only one vote to the good, and was therefore in an impossible position for passing tariff reform. Now, just as the Federal Labour Party is restored to office wo find matters, for the present at any rate, somewhat chaotic in New Zealand. I can only hope that tho outcome of the present position will be an early ratification of the agreement which lias already been made. A VALUABLE SUGGESTION.

"l might take this opportunity of saying that I was exceedingly pleaded to noto tho views expressed both by the Right Hon. A. Fisher and his colleague, Mr Tudor, ou the proposal that no agreement should be m.ide which was to be for the exclusive benefit of New Zealand and Australia. It may be remembered that during my visit to Australia the Hou. Sir Geo. Foster, Minister for Trade in Canada, took part in a triple conference with Mr Tudor and myself. I submitted a proposal to' that conference which has not yet been made public, and which, at the time, was not considered quite feasible. The proposal was that any agreement made between any two portions of tho Empire should be extended to any other portion of the Empire upon condition that that other portion extended similar benefits to tho two contracting parties. For instance, it has always seemed to mc to be an absurd feature of our trade relationships that w«j should enter into an agreement with South Africa and give it special benefits which discriminated against the Commonwealth of Australia, and placed our own neighbours at a huge disadvantage. The basfs of sound tariff relations between the oversea Dominions ought to bo so laid that all benefits conferred should be open to the wholo Empire. So surely as we find one portion of the Empire discriminating against another, so will we find the benefit of being an integral portion of the Empire proportionately minimised. THE EMPIRE AFTER THE WAR. "Have the conditions produced by the war," aeked the pressman, "led you to give any thought to the subject of so altering our tariff as to conserve to Britain, after the war, that trade which was hitherto done by Germany, and which during the war will bo carried on by Britain? In other words, is the time ripe for considering how the Empire may be brought closer together by means of Customs alterations, even during the currency of the war?" "In answering that question," replied Mr Fisher, "two very important features must bo borne in mind, and one, to some extent, counterbalances the other. The primary objection to it would be that "this is not the time when the country could afford to have its revenue disturbed. That would appear to be a sound objection. But on the other hand this may be the opportunity of a century for the oversea Dominions to so adjust their tariffs as to secure permanently to Britain as much as possible of the German trade. The opportunity. I say, may bo too good to miss. The English manufacturers at the prosent time are looking for agents, for new business and for new markets, and it is a very o:>en question indeed as to whether this would not be a most excellent time for the Ministers for Customs of the oversea Dominions to meet together with a view to devising an Imperial tariff that would encourage the manufacture and use of British goods within the Empire, and would at the same time bring about a free interchange of foodstuffs between our peoples, thus making the Empire selfsupporting, in every sense of the word. At least, it cannot be that such a conference as I have suggested could result in any possible harm. To my mind the benefits would be incalculable. I have in my possession correspondence from persons in high places in other parts of the Empire who have accepted the suggestion in the most favourable light. DO THE SPADE-WORK NOW. "What I should like to ccc," pursued Mr Fisher, "would be Great Britain undertaking to do the preliminary spade-work now so as to ensure that by the time the war is over and Germany endeavours to re-enter those markets which she has lost, she will then find that while the war was sti'.l going "on, Great Britain and the overseas Dominions were able to spare the time to lock ahead and had anticipated the step which they knew Germany would inevitably take—namely, endeavour to re-secure her overseas trade—and had themselves entered into possession of those markets which Germany sought. It will be too late to wnit until peace is declared and then set out to capture German trade. Now is the time for the overseas Dominions to assist all British manufacturers by sso revising their tariffs as to nermanently deprive Germany of their trade. "The first step to snch a consummation would be the holding of a conference of Ministers of Customs, and I should be very glad to see that the Rt. Hon. W F. Massey and the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth had agreed to such a course. A meeting could easily be arranged at the present time in either Canada or Great Britain, and would be of immense practical benefit to the Empire." LOCAL TARIFF REFORM. Turning to local tariff questions. Mr Fisher said: "There is a feature of our Customs tariff to which I should like to draw attention. Our antediluvian and obsolete method of approaching the question of tariff reform ought to be wiped out altogether. In 1907 we had a complete revision of the New Zealand tariff. That revision carried with it the usual burden of anomalies with which any revised schedule must be saddled. The absurd feature of our law lies in this: that you cannot even rectify

an anomaly in any tariff without practically putting the whole tariff upon the floor of tho House and thus disturbing the commercial community and exciting parochial feelings co far as jnembers of Parliament are concerned. Year after year our commercial community has been burdened by the most absurd and ludicrous anomalies, aud the Government has not cared to put them right because the whole question would be opened up in Parliament. "Last year I had a Bill drafted for Eresentation to Parliament which would aye at least made an attempt to overcome this disability. My proposal is *hat in respect of any item in the tariff tho Minister for Customs shall have the power to sot up a committee of two or three business men with tho Secretary for Customs, and perhaps the Minister himself to investigate any item in respect of which requisition is made for a variation in the tariff. In the event of the committee reporting favourably the Minister may abolish or vai? the tariff provided tnnt within twenty-one days of tho meeting of Parliament any such alteration shall bo submitted for its sanction. If it does not .sanction the action of the Minister then tho duties which would still have been collected pending the Parliamentary sanction, shall be retained. By this method Parliament would not bo deprived in any sense of its power, whilst.tho Government, on the other hand, would have conferred ii'v>n it the power _ to take anomalies out of the tariff without opening up tho whole tariff for discussion. AN INVOLVED COURSE. "An instance of tho involved course now required to vary tho tariff is seen at the present time in the Government's action over wheat and flour. Tho Government decided to rebate tho duty upon these articles. The sensible thing to have done would have been to have altered the Custome tariff and put these two items on the free list. In ! our cumbrous and obsolete method we have to collect the duty in the meantime and ask Parliament about next October or November to vote the money back to the people who have already paid it. The course proposed would nave afforded a much more simple and direct way of meeting such an emer-

gency."

INTERCHANGE OF VIEWS

Referring finally to the visit of tho Prime Minister of the Commonwealth (who arrives in Christchurch to-day). Mr Fisher said he was very glad indeed to see it, because an interchange of views between New Zealand and Australian statesmen was certain to bear good fruit in tho near future. He hoped it would not be long now before tho reciprocal pension agreement which was signed by Mr Fisher, of Australia, and himself was brought into operation. This measure provided that the term spent in either Australia or New Zealand would count towards tho pension applied for in either country, and would bo of immense benefit to many pioneers. Mr F. M. B. Fisher, after his strenuous time in the recent election, is enjoying a short holiday in Christchurch.