PROHIBITION OF IMPORTS.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20564, 4 June 1932, Page 17

PROHIBITION OF IMPORTS.

P ' ias SDITOB or THE FKES9 .Manufacturers appreciate XfrL. jjawards's recognition of the for secondary industries and . f OT the frank statement, fTin your issue of June Ist, of Lie towards them. But some intentions which he puts for- ({* 0 t pass unchallenged. The that the prosperity of depends upon importing, 'ft Us turn, is dependent upon is untenable. That local Scares increase as importing dei* too obvious to need stressing. Stater war years importing almost 'US and in consequence manufacturto a point never before or since After the war imports poured "j wal production fell away pro- > • .t«lv [For figures, see the Canmanufacturers' official reply to «S published on May 10th.] "la present time, with extra duty !,Li2e protection and m spite ftSS, there is a revival of cergiving employment and SSur money—a good augury for Core If this reviving process conTand it can only do so through an £oa of imports, there will be a £ return to prosperity. Se denies that certain goods must < Lted: hut it is equally true that 'IS on certain others would be ' imd measure with favourable ecoof a far-reaching nature. Sfknot time for half measures. The j SoDliey of almost unrestricted imIL is largely responsible for our £Jplight. Goods to the value of SoOOOO were imported in 10 years, & and the men who should have M«mployed in making a proportion fleee goods were kept going on pubworks financed by overseas borrow- # The result has been an increase [ike national and local body debt of 1115,172,000 during the 10-year period, Hfthe same time, and allowing for interest payments, an adverse of £27 200,000 tanot Mr Edwards and his coign# realise that this era or importSnurt end and that the road to ultis prosperity for New Zealand lies in pjjtf a larger population employed in BBfaeturing for its home market and Miming a bigger proportion of prifljwodncef In this scheme of things Ijirimaiy producer will not be so deadest upon a glutted overseas mailt and the importer must necessarily jjj a relatively small part.—Yours, , l\ L. HUTCHINSON, A yiee-president of the Canterbury -Manufacturers' Association. /sso 3rd, 1932.