FARMING TOPICS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 125, 29 May 1928, Page 10

FARMING TOPICS

MR, COATES AT MORRINSVILLE (By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post") MOBBINSVILLE, This Day. A public address was delivered here last, evening by the Prime Minister (the Right Hon. J. G. Coates), who covered a wide range of subjects, devoting his remarks largely to rural topics. He was given an enthusiastic reception and was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence. Discussing Customs, Mr. Coates supported recent utterances of the Minister of Customs, stating that the principle of supporting worth-while industries in their initial stage through the Customs had long been established, and that any attempt to remove protection jvould produce chaotic results to both secondary and primary industries. Ho included primary industries because very many groups of farmers were as fully protected as the secondary industries. Even if a free-trade Parliament were returned, the Minister of Customs would find, insuperable and practical difficulties. Great Britain had often been upheld ns a model free- ■ trade country, but Mr. Winston Churchill recently Budgeted for £600,000,000, of which approximately £300,000,000 it was estimated would be raised from Customs taxation. ' Amongst other subjects, the Primo Minister dealt at some length with scientific and industrial research, detailing what has already been accomplished by the Department, especially in its endeavours to assist primary and secondary industry.