GIVE AND TAKE

Evening Star, Issue 18543, 28 January 1924, Page 10

GIVE AND TAKE

IN PREFERENCE MATTERS, An emphatic denial waa given at Atiokland this week to the allegation that the dominions are selfishly demanding tho .'Jother Country to give preferences to them on an unreciprocal basis. The true position of affairs was pointed out to a •.Star' representative in an interview with Mr Walter Leitch. one of the three members of the. Commonwealth Tariff Board, who i» at present in New Zealand. “I have noticed lately,” said Mr Leitch, "that several visiting Englishmen have asked what preference the dominions are prepared to give to Groat Britain in exchange for a preference on Australian and New Zealand goods. In Australia the present amount of preference given to the Old. ..Country in dulios alone totals ten millions per annum. All that Great Britain is giving to Australian products is a preference on dried fruits, which does not amount to more than £65,000. ■ We want preference for all our raw products." Every Australian and every New Zealander holds this view, continued Mr laiitch : that in view of tho fact that tho Commonwealth and the dominion give Great Britain such substantial preference over - other countries, sire in. turn ought to give a preference to our products. If Australia had not given British nranufoct.urers that preference of ten millions, and had not taken action through the Industries. Preservation Act to prevent dumping in Australia of goods produced in countries with a depredated currency, the trade that Britain has done with Australia would not have reached anything like its present, figure. We are hoping that the- British Government will give favorable consideration to the proposals made by Mr Bruce and Mr, Massey at the conference; and the 1 Mother I/and and her dominions will bo drawn closer together by n system of preference tariffs to encourage trade between them.