PUBLIC TARIFF INQUIRIES

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27764, 15 September 1955, Page 10

PUBLIC TARIFF INQUIRIES

DELAYS IN ISSUE OF DECISIONS

CRITICISM OF BOARD HELD UNFAIR (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, Sept. 14. Criticism of delays in announcing decisions of the Board of Trade was unfair, as the board’s most important work could not be hurried, said the Minister of Industries jpd Commerce (Mr D. J. Eyre) at conference of the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation today.

Many of the board’s hearings concerned large-scale domestic industries employing many thousands of workers, he said. Those industries were an important segment of the economy, and the board must examine the whole position in each case, and carefully analyse and weigh the evidence brought forward. New Zealand was often obliged to seek the views of other Governments before putting into effect the board’s recommendations, said Mr Eyre. Since the board was set up in 1950. it had held 58 public tariff inquiries. Twentyfive decisions had been announced by the Government, and work on the rest was proceeding as quickly as possible.

“I am convinced that time will prove the wisdom of the Manufacturers’ Federation in proposing, and the Government in establishing, an independent, quasi-judicial body to make recommendations to the Government on tariffs, import licensing, dumping, and related matters.” said the Minister. A change in Ministers had not meant a change in policy, he said. The general policy remained one of moving eventually from import licensing to import duties as a means of protecting sound New Zealand industries on a relatively stable basis. But there might be cases where import licensing was the only satisfactory means of continued protection during the next few years. The Board of Trade would continue to have regard not only to the interest of the manufacturing industries, but also to the interests of consumers, the primary industries, and to effects generally on the economy, said Mr Eyre. “Manufacturers must always remember that the final judge of their products is the customer,” he said. “The customer has a right to expect a variety of goods to choose from, of varying qualities and prices. “Imports, even if limited in some cases, show to your customers what the world is producing in your type of . oods. They make the manufacturers aware of new products and designs. This is a healthy incentive to all of you to keep pace, where needed, in new products for the customer,” Mr Eyre said.