THE TARIFF BILL

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 74, 25 September 1934, Page 8

THE TARIFF BILL

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —Will you! please allow me to utter a protest against'tho Tariff Bill, in one particular—tho motor'trade1? The Government had the opportunity to do something,' to prove its good will to England and it has, I submit, failed. My strong objections, in this instance to tho Bill, are that, like the high exchange, it is (a) not in harmony with Ottawa, and Mr. Coatcs might reread and "-restudy tho treaty to which ho was a party; (b) our trado with the U.S.A. was not considered, although both Messrs. Atmore and Veitch insisted that it should bo.

What aro the facts of'this traclet From 1926 to 1933 inclusive the balance of trade against New Zealand amounted to tho enormous sum'of £35;108,173. That is considerably over £4,000,000 a year. Now take our trado with th 3 United Kingdom: During tho samo years (1926-34) tho balanco in favour of New Zealand; was £125,840,415. The obvious and very plain meaning of these figures is just this: that had we not thaj;'enormous balanco in our favour in trade with Britain wo could not be in tho position to buy from America or anywhere else, but England bought our products land, we spend millions of it with America. That is the nieasuro of our gratitude! Mr. Dowiiie Stewart told the House that the.irritation in England over high , exchange was doing us harm. It will increase liow, and will, probably, increase our depression as well. I regret having to leave Wellington for a little time, .but as soon as I return another meeting similar to the one in the Town Hall will be called, and the people of this city can know the position for, themselves. —I am, etc.,

WM. THOMSON, Ed., ,"The New Ze^lander."