TARIFF BATTLE

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 115, 12 November 1934, Page 14

TARIFF BATTLE

MANUFACTURERS' PART

RELIEF AT THE RESULT

Although tho New Zealand Jln.ni facturcis'^redcration has been cstal listed in its pioscnt foim for on] twenty months, dining that penod i - Las accomplished much noik in th interests of its mcmbeis \Tho annua repoit of the fcdeiation, to bo pic sentcd at the nnnual conference i "Wellington on Wednesday ne\t, stale that during "the list* twenty months th manufaetuieis have "been involved 11 the gieatcst stiiiggle they have eve knbnn to defend the punciplo of tariff pidtection r<ind i"to lesist the deter mined efforts of impoiting and e\poit ing interests to ioico doun the scali of duties even to- tho point of destroy ing tho manufictunng industiics o tho Dominion." "It has been an enormous under taking*" states thcixepoit, "involving tho flo^ailetV study and analysis of ths business, finances, md pro ductkfti of t most of the individua manufacturing firms m tho Dominion, tho'prepaiation of a vast amount oi I ■evid«ne<?;for tho Tanff Commission during 4 the eight months of its in quirjfjitho woikingup of gonoial cases ' on Behalf of some two dozen separate 1 industries) '•and the prep'aratiori" of a complete 'case' for manufacturing in dustnes as a whole which Wis then put hot6i& tho'Tanff Commission,'and be foie' Uui'Government, 'Parliament, tho Picss/ r knd tho public at large . "It*hasf been a haul fight, and a longrflgKt.' -But when ne remember the powciiul forces tliiit have been opeiatingion tho other* side tho fact that this v is essentially a 'farmers' countiy,' the fact that \ct Zealand has ahva-js hid to stiong an.• oveiseas trade' oomple\, the difficulties and dingcis'lnheiont in the political sitnatiou, the ovci shadowing commitments of the Ottawa. Agreement, the wide spicad ignoiancc concerning manufac tnnhg ii dustnes, and the carefully fo* teicd piejudicc against them —when we iceall these conditions under which tho long dcfcrfsivo battle1- was foughl, and fought against " such odds, the majouty of manufaetiucis and indus trial woikers'-throughout the Dominion niust sineJy be relieved by the lesult, Theie ,is,'honevei —not confined to maaufaeture'is, but expressed even more opcnlv by their opponents—a genoral lecognition of tho fact that this 'resujt could not have been achieved without, the uoik of tho Manufactureis* JTedeiation." i , n ON THE MAP. Aftrr buefly reviewing other activities, the report proceeds —"Tho taiiff question Jns, of com so, been tho chief focal,point of the federation's efforts and activity; 'but something of even wider and more fundamental importance has. been achieved. It is no| ex-aggeintiou to <say that tho general cconomfc situation, combined with all The. 'information disseminated by tho ; Manufacture!«. Fedciation, together ■with the manufactureis' consistently sound stiatcgy and tactics 'n a difficult, complicated situation, have already! effected a- remarkable change in the attitude of Parliament, Press, and public- towaids manufacturing industucs. Today the manufacturing industries ot New Zealand are definitely 'on tho "map', and the organised jm-dustiiahsts-fOf. tho Dominion are recognised as "a force to be reckoned ruth Less than tlnce years ago the following passige appealed in tho 'National Review' —'Tho chief danger is that, thiough t\eakncjss>of jprgamsation and consequent inability, to express their views and asseit- themselves effectively, the miniifactuieis will be shouted ([own, ciowded out, and tiampled upon by tho four powei fully organised interests of labour, finance, the fanners, and the importers,' SPIRIT OF GIVE-AND-TAKE. "Today we can claim that the manufacturers bare' built up what is prolbably the most active and effective oiganisation of its kind in the Dominion. A giatitying featuic of the manufacturers' oiganisation is the spirit of give and take which has revealed itself in the four centres. Associations and individual manufactureis alike have recognised that it is impossible to- sccpo general agreement on e\ery point of policy and tactics. They have recognised that, if we were to wait for complete agreement before doing anything, nothing would , ever be done; and credit must be given to those ho have at all times been will ing to subordinate their own opinions to preserve tho 'unity of tho movement as a whole " *■ < ' '