TRADE BARRIERS

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 103, 28 October 1932, Page 8

TRADE BARRIERS

BUSINESSMEN'S VIEWS

TARIFFS AND EMBARGOES

REVISION DESIRED

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) DTJNEDIN, This Day. A remit was presented at the conference of the Associated Chambers of Commerce by Mr. A. M. Leaman (Auckland) suggesting that the Government should introduce a downward revision of tariff on both British and foreign goods, remove the duty surtax, restrictions and embargoes on the importation and exportation of certain commodities, and curtail powers granted by Order-in-Council to the Customs and other Departments which result in uncertainty in trade and inevitably hinder commerce. He said that the present position was that all countries were now sellers and not buyers. As soon as there was a danger of someone climbing over the tariff wall it was built up further. Mr. A. H. Allen said that if a duty of 200 or 300 per cent, were imposed they would not be able to keep out Japanese footwear. Some methods other than Customs would have to be adopted to deal with that country. Mr. Stronach Paterson said the remit was enunciating general principles. He could say from long experience of the. Customs Department that no department carried out its duties so carefully, impartially, aud justly. (Hear, hear.) At the same time it was another barrier to international trade to place powers in the hands of an individual which might at any time operate against international trade. Mr. T. C. Boss asked what clause 1 meant. Did it mean that the tariff would ultimately be abolished? Voices: Yes. Mr. Boss said that for 1931 the Customs revenue had supplied £7,000,000. If the £7,000,000 had to be found by income it would prove very awkward for them all. The country still required reasonable protection. A largp amount of capital was invested in secondary industries. If they were wiped out the employees would havo to find work elsewhere. The remit was adopted with the alteration that it was decided to urge on the Government "as a general principle" to carry out the clauses in the remit. The-, word "discriminating" was inserted before the words "downward revision" and the word "vexatious" before the words "powers granted." ■ Mr. W. Bottrell (Canterbury) submitted the following remit: "That this conference is convinced that the restrictive provisions of the Board of Trade Act, Commercial Trusts Act, and Cost of Living Act operate to the detriment of business and the community generally, and therefore urge 3 on the Government the immediate repeal of these Acts." On the suggestion of Mr. Stronach Paterson, the words after the word "Government" were deleted and the following words added, "their radical amendment on the lines recently presented to ,the Government by a deputation sponsored by this association." This was adopted.