OUR PREFERENTIAL TARIFF.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 640, 18 October 1909, Page 8

OUR PREFERENTIAL TARIFF.

1. . . WHAT IT REALLY- AMOUNTS TO. j [To tot-EpiToa.j; Sir—The. ostensible, object -of •the'.'intrpduc* tion of .tlie. first. Preferential .' and Reciprocal Trade Bill was : a 'desire ! to transfer our.ipi-. port'trade to England on a soliednle of goods which New Zealand importers were buying'.in foreign. -.countries/ and assumed to 'It will; probably be. interests ing to many just. now. to.cxamine the.development of thiß schemo in' the light of Custom: House returns, abd also' its working during the Inst five In quoting from these reI . the specie " Imported ■ as not affecting the question. ; Under the 'heading "General," I quote ; the value of : aIP other imports in. pounds'sterling; eicepting.'only that of the foreign goods', on which the'extra duty under the Act has been paid, and • whicfy. are set out in the .second column under the heading "Preferential":—

". :•. '' -. '•' : '' ' ■ ••- v • '•• v• ■ g° . ' .•'■■;.■."; -'..''./S'."' \a«~>...??*& -' ■• '■■■■''.'■■■ : -s: ■■■■'••■l'' ■■•■|i| ' ; -'ai .'•• • - : . -.■■■■■■--.0. , :--'■■-■■.& ■'. PM&-2 -γ^m : . ; . ."• .■: £ . .-', ■..£ .. .... ".'• £ •1901 ■ : 12,'«2,r63 .487,867 : " -3.91 .' 52,930. 1005 .....:;• 11,881,'IH.'"'. 599,764' 5.009 ' 64.327 1906. .;.; '.13,682,570! 620,600 ■ 4.53"' • 66,23? 1007 .'...:.. 15,881,680 •' 658,027 4.143 70,239 1008 ....... 16,352/155 .895,007 .. 5.473 > 90,173 .■ v /'■/:■ "■■■■ ; 'f ; .-..v.-: -'■ -,v'':•'•■ ■'■■ 343.90? The Customs returns thus ehow that deepite the coercion of this'pehal taxation, , 'the 'Act ..haa. altogether Tr.iled in its professed object, ■ for the valuo 4 r. ! . Hie foreign goods has not shrunk, but, hasinoreased in a , greater ratio'than the more; Hndlyitreated"British. "■■ ' ' ■ ■ ■ . ..''.■ Turning, to the published details of these im-' ports/it will bo found that "the foreign ; goods on-which preferential duty has been.paidconsiste- principally -of. fancy goods 'and'■■;toys, musical";instruments, , ' lamps,' glnssware', ■hard■warej; naiUi, eleptfical , appliances,'' 'engines, uiaohinery,, oils',''paper/ and fruit. "England .has never'been prominent in the manufacture of .the first, three items in this list,."and.still largely .imports;'them even ; , for. ;h'er own re-". ; quirements.. The hardware and.nails .required fpr-.our 'wooden buildings' differ from'- .tiie Eriglish'.product, 'which.remains unsuitable. ".Asto tfie'. electrical' and ;, other . machinery inchided, our , , factories, and .people, fortunately, wiU "insist on; taking." advantage' 'of ■.•": every invention' and development'as : it arises,'.and ■will not. be deterred- even' by this extra duty.' The other; goods or' products .of foreign .'origin : can -be' landed' at .lower cost' than 'English*, eyeri after paying "the penal'■ tax. ' 'To; expect to transfer , .iour/'tra'de, in them to England' was," therefore, .'absurd. .:"' •" ' ".' ."-.-I- ,- :v: When the, Bil l-was before the House.'l ventured, to; urge that : the schenie , ; was illusory', nnd would: never'effect "the annual transfer of even- JESO.OOO value 1 of 'imports.; Now, in tho presence of ■these".Yeturns, it is evident, that .as .vet,'inno year.'has the' Act, diverted trade to Englnnd, but' to , an .'-insignificant extent, if at all. , Regrettably, in''addition to. ; the resulting ' increased, taxation , inflicted .through its' | failure, the-Act in ite-admini6tration has neceiearily caused miiph friction, and has l harassed over, declaratibns;;nnd in various; ways; its supposed—Tiiit'.' as "it p'rpves—imaginary; beneficiary; the- British manufacturer,-: as .also. both.export .and import mer.chnnts.:,'"••■.■'. 'C' , ;'.-.■ - ;■ : Ministers probnbly have long since become' reconciled;-to.what; they will claim to.'be>an jnexpeoted increase of. revenue; ■'■ althoueh amounting'in the 'five years- to i 343,908;;' Under the Aot,,,however,'.the epnntry has ."-.'postured :and:been.'accepted,',as the , generous patrons of England.-and hence this l failure.to,benefit'the Motherlarid. ought-.to : ;be'-'Tery-mortifying, and 9«r eelf-respept.is altogether torpid," we will immediately, ;an'd:4t. whatever .cost.' withdraw friom so false.'a .position by the' repeal of this delusive measure. There; is; also some'"rea'-' son for anxiety.whether,: ae represented by the public cablegrams; the Act has not been repented in; America.., ,It. .cannot'.be questioned thatythe absence" or ■,attendance of American buyers; at'; the London.'wool sales materially affects prices." It was hoped ' that , ' Congress,' when recently;,.revising'.- the "American tarifi , , would; largely reduce the import duties' On wool.'-,These'dutiee,":however,- , Vere discussed and '"maintained,'' but.'- whether the ' unfriendly colonial tariffsv";had, as, : the cablegrains say, : an adverse influence, may' , be doubtful. ,'Stillmy' point "is-'that the preferential tariff.Shas altogether Tailed .in its protensions, and that we strut; .under; .borrowed plumes'- while , affecting ; to ; be generously bearing taxation to ensure that trade may be diverted "to British factories:- • Miriisters, it'- is true, collect' the revenue, ; but• the, trade,-is. not transferred.—l ■am,'etc., ■'■■•. ■'•■•';;' JNO. DUTHIE. ; '/ ''October, 15.',.;'; . .:' '';" " ' •'. ~''-:- '■:' : '.:.-■■''