PROTECTIVE DUTIES

Evening Star, Issue 21037, 26 February 1932, Page 9

PROTECTIVE DUTIES

AUSTRALIA'S TARIFF POLICY THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTIONS Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. CANBERRA, February 25. Outlining the tariff policy, the Minister for Customs (Mr H. S. Gullett) said that the Government stood first for an adequate measure of Protection for the maintenance or establishment of industries, for which Australia offered reasonable economic opportunities. “We look with disfavour on prohibitive duties which are calculated to create undesirable monopolies and provoke retaliation by foreign countries which are valuable customers for our primary products,” said Mr Gullett. “Drastic changes to the existing tariff schedule will not be made on Ministerial initiative; on the contrary, the Government will accept the guidance of the Tariff Board, and in broad principle will follow its recommendations.” Mr Gullett pointed out that in addition to removing the prohibition upon a number of articles the duties would be increased on electrical heating apparatus and other goods, and decreased upon whisky, gin, tobacco, chinaware, earthenware, glassware, printers’ type, tools, writing and stencilling ink. potted meats, confectionery, and various other items. ' PROHIBITIONS REMOVED CANBERRA, February 25. The Federal Government to-day removed the tariff prohibition on the importation of forty-three classes of goods, including biscuits, confectionery, ale, beer, cigarettes, cigars, soaps, candles, peanut butter, onions, canary seed, electrical heating and cooking appliances, dry batteries, glue, cements, baths, sinks, certain, types of agricultural implements, ploughs, fertilisers, reapers, harvesters, rakes, chaffcutters, preserved pork, preserved meats and dried milk.