INDUSTRIES COMMITTEE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 215, 5 June 1919, Page 6

INDUSTRIES COMMITTEE

THE AUSTRALIAN TARIFF. The Parliamentary Industries Committee resumed its sittings in Wellington yesterday. Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., presided, and there were also present Dr. A. K. Newman and Messrs. J. Craigie, G. W. Forbes, J. T. M. Hornsby, H. Poland, W. A. Veitoh, and "f. K. Sidey, M.l Vs. The oommittee sat in committee and heard additional evidence from Mr. W. G. M'Donald, member of tho Board of Trade.

Mr. W. B. Montgomery, Comptroller of Customs, described the measures talon in Australia to regulate the tariff. Ho said that under the intei-State commeycn law a Tariff Board had been established. The Federal Comptroller of Customs was a member of this board, which had general functions relating to trade and industry. It was to study Australian trade, examine openings in new market*, and investigate such matters as wages, immigration, labour supply, shipping bounties, and commercial profits. This board would not propose any change of the tariff until the'parties concerned had given very full information on all points. The board hail no powers to amend tho tariff. It merely made, recommendations. Ho understood that its recommendations had not had ve'\v much influonco with Parliament in Australia. The process of tariff amendment in Australia was this same as in New Zealand. There was power in each case to admit goods free, of duty, but this power was restricted, in New Zealand to materials used exclusively for the fabrication of goods within the Dominion. The Australian powers wer* rather wider.

One-Sided Preference. Mr. Montgomery stated that under tho Australian tariff New Zealand was treated as a foreign country.' Britain had pre. ferential treatment, but New Zealand was in the 6ame position in relation to Australia as the United States. .New Zealand gave Australia preferential treatment. The Dominion gave boutlt Africa preferential treatment in reference to feathers, fish, fruit, maize, tobacco, tea, wines. A reduction of 3 per cent, in the duty on other goods was made in favour of South Africa. New Zealand did very little trade with Soutn Africa. Australians had complained that South African wines entered New Zealand in bulk and were sold as Australian. There was no check on this process.

, Agricultural Implements. The reciprocal tariff treaty arranged with Australia by the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher had lapsed beforo completion owing to a change of Government in the Commonwealth, added Air. Montgomery. "Haw material" was very hard to define. A bootmaker called leather raw material, while a tanner 'called it a manufactured product. There had been cases of deliberate dumping of overseas goods in New, Zealand; with the object of killing a local industry. The. attempt to protect the local agricultural implement industry through the Monopoly Prevention Act had taken the form of a refund of duty on material used'for locaT manufacture. At the same time tlie Act provided for fixing prices of the locally made implements. The Act was still in force, but its machinery had not been used fully by tho manufacturers, 'who had the right to apply for protection. Some manufacturers of agricultural implements were getting refunds of duties paid on their raw mnterials. . .'.,„• Tho committee adjourned until this morning, when additional evidence will be taken.