THE TARIFF

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 33, 9 February 1927, Page 3

THE TARIFF

(To the Editor.)

.. Sir,—ln a letter on the above question in a previous issue of "The Evening Poet," your correspondent began his epistle, og 6aying:. "In the multitude of counsellors wisdom prevails." I.wish to add a Latin, saying, "Omnia mutantur et nos mutamur. in illis" (all things change, and wigi change with them). There.is no doubt that a change in the present tariff is neejf* ed somewhere. There are 'supporters foe and against the increase in the tariff, and who they are remains for the people them* Belves to judge. There seems to.be an impression that because an industry asks for increased, tariff it is unable.to. carry ■on.- .Well, this is quite unfounded. These: industries can carry on, but by the. barest of margins, and some of the factories have machinery and plant for a turnover of at least foujj times their present output, and, of coursed as they cannot get the work; they cannot absorb more labour. I say this because one theory put forward is that increag* ed tariff, will not . help unemployment. What about the future? With the increased number of people' arriving here, who ...are not all workers on the land, they will have to be absorbed in their re» spective trades, and only the tariff will help to put these people in their positions. Of course, there- are industries who are asking.for an increase who do not realist need it; so, before an increase is granted^ all facts aud figures relative to the said ml dustry should be thoroughly, examined td justify the claim. , . ' . The main trouble is that not' sufficient interest js taken in the secondary inSus? tries; there is too much attention paid id the farmer and his produce.- Of course, they have right of priority, because they are the leaders of our exports, but tha °J-jr lllduslries are making Buch, rapid strides that a complete metamorphosis is needed. All the criticism put forward "is more or less theoretical. So let there be more action and less theory. There seems to be a lot of strepent person* about, but they do not know the me«tt^ ing of action.—l am, etc., i - . -_. .. . S-. DEL MONTE. -