POLITICAL POINTS

Evening Star, Issue 20853, 24 July 1931, Page 12

POLITICAL POINTS

MAORI VIEW OF CANADIAN TARIFF

[From Our Parliamentary Reporter.]

I WELLINGTON, July 23. Tho Southern Alaori member, Air | Alakitauara, is no advocate of the turn tho other cheek policy in relation to I tho tariff controversy. Ho Avas pro- ■ yoked by criticism of the Prime Aimistor’s handling of tho Canadian difficulty to make a strong defence in tho House. “ 1 say our Prime Alinister was made a political football of in ' Canada,” he declared. “Ho Avas harassed from pillar to post, and on get- ; ting to Canada Avas told to go to Eng- ’ land, Avhero an arrangement might be further discussed. After all ways and ! means of negotiation were gone through 1 the door Avas slammed in his face. The only honourable course ho could take I in promoting tho Avelfare of our dairy i farmers was retaliation.”

j Tho member in spirited tones de--1 dared for the Prime Minister's motto: “ I buy Avlicrc I sell. That, ho said, Avas logic, though sonic members after seeing tho door slam wanted to get down on tho lowest rung of tho political ladder, and go again to Canada, asking: “ Please give us something.” , Air J, A. Nash: Von arc not blaming tiie Prime Alinister? Mr Alakitauara: No, 1 am praising him. (Laughter.) *’ ♦ * * I IMPERIAL CONFERENCE ORj GANISATION. ' Tho suggestion avus made by Air Vincent Ward (Invercargill) during the Imperial '’Conference debate* that there should be a regularly constituted committee in each dominion to deal Avith Imperial affairs, particularly the trade aspect. , Ne\v Zealand’s committee , should, lie thought, comprise the holders of the portfolios of Prime Alinister, .Ministers of Customs, Defence, and Tourists. These Avero Avhat lie termed the selling .departments of the country, for they all had to do. with tho development and safety of our export trade, while tho Alinister of Tourists Avas I “ soiling ” Ncav Zealand attractions to I overseas visitors. Ho also suggested that tho High Commissioners of the" various dominions, Avith tho permanent secretaries, should meet regularly to send forward reports to their respective countries on all matters concerning Empire trade, soythat by .the time an Imperial conference Avas held many matters Avould have been dealt with'. New Zealanders had to remember that their prosperity depended not on internal trade, hut entirely on customers ' abroad. Tho Prime Alinister on his visit to England had greatly impressed pcopblc by frankly setting "out to sc)) New Zealand products. Except for small protective duties, England was a Froetrado country. Its protective duties only helped Ncav Zealand in regard to hops and tobacco, but Canada, Australia, and South Africa secured more benefit from those duties. Opinion was chang.rig in Britain, menaced as it was by an immense war debt, tho big burden of tho unemployed, and confronted with an array of foreign nations which had themselves taken from the Old Country its former domination as a manufacturing country, and had deprived it of its former lead as the foremost carrying nation of tho Avorld. Its people Avero looking for something in the Avay of protection for their industries. j Air Parry: Is it peculiar to England to look for something? Mr Ward: No; the Labour Party here is looking to get to these benches,'■ but that question Avill bo decided later' on. (Laughter.) Air Semple; You bought your Avav in. Air Ward; We fought our way in. * * * * WAR MINISTERS’ PROFITS BILL. This is the unusual title of tho measure Air APCombs has given notice to introduce in the. House. Tho main operative clause seeks to ensure that all persons Avho were Alinistors of the CroAvn during tho period 1915-20, Avlien a good deal of official attention Avas being paid to jniblic companies, and tho Board of 'Trade imposed a number of restrictions on trading, .shall, if they hold tho position of director of any public company, pay to the Commissioner of Taxes their proportion of any excess profits of the company iu Avhich they were directors in excess of the preAvar standard of profits, no matter whether they received the profits or not. _ l,t is contended by Air C. Al. Ollivicr, of the Woolston Tanneries Company, Avliich is in the electoral district represented by Air APCombs, that this concern was very severely regulated regarding its trading during the period covered by tho Bill, and tliat investigations of its accounts by tho Board of Trade -showed that tho company’s not profit on turnover was 4.9.’! per cent. Tho company Avas also obliged by the Board of Trade to offer its products in the local market, the more profitable outside market being [ closed to it. Then tho Government released tho embargo-'on the export of j hides, enabling those Avho had hold their hides to make enormous profits on their ; export. i Mr AUComhs’s measure seeks fo equalise the position as betAvccn tho Woolston Tanneries Company' and concerns which Avero subjected to loss restriction, by providing tliat the period of control should ho treated as one, and that the income tax should he as- J sessed on tho actual profits of the period as ascertained by subsequent realisations.