The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1921 OPPORTUNITY THAT SHOULD NOT BE MISSED.

Gisborne Times, Volume LV, Issue 6184, 15 September 1921, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1921 OPPORTUNITY THAT SHOULD NOT BE MISSED.

The, continued silence as to the inew tariff tends to excite interest as to the nature of the proposals about to be enacted. On every hand, there is a growing feeling that it will aim at the further protection of domestic industries and that in respect of goods that require to be imported British countries will receive still greater preference as compared with foreign nations. Australia has now what may be described as a high protection tariff, the object being to infuse more life into her secondary industries, and the suspicion that the new Dominion tariff will follow oil similar lines, if not to an equal extent, is difficult to escape. As far as can be gathered, the new Australian tariff, from the standpoint of protectionists, is the finest that has ever been put into force in tlxe Commonwealth. It is, at all events, free from such conspiauous amonalies as that which was drafted some years ago, which displayed a variety of absurd errors. A case in point, it may be recalled, was where internal combustion engines paid 12j per cent' ad val and the component parts, unassembled, were required to pay 20 per cent ad val! lii the present instance, the Federal Minister for Customs is credited with having worked, like a coral island builder, upwards from the foundation, making each layer secure in turn, from raw material to finished article, so that the final form in which a product goes to the consuming public becomes the one to receive the highest protection. Let it be trusted that the new Dominion tariff will be based on a similar sound line of reasoning. What New Zealand, too, might well follow Australia in is in the establishment of a Tariff Board charged with the duty of seeing that the new tariff accomplishes the objectives in view. There can be no question but that between the new tariff and the new anti-dum-ping law, Australian manufactories should flourish and prosper if Capital and Labor combine to work in harmony. It*has been well pointed out in this regard, that, excellent as the new conditions must be voted, there must bo given, in return for fair remuneration, reasonable hours of work and efficiency of service. At present the unemployment evil is very acute in Australia, but it is hoped that there will now be such a stimulation of domestic industries that no man or woman . who desires work shall be compelled to remain idle. The Government of this Dominion should, too, strike out on a new line. It should give, more encouragement, airart from subsidies, to new secondary industries. What is badly needed is a scheme of training .for the young men of the Dominion .that will go far beyond the present technical educatoin system. The State must interest itself, not alone in the training of manual workers, but in promoting the science of foremanship and management of industries. There is no vaild reason why New Zealand should not be as capable as any other nation in converting her raw materials into the finished products. If the proposed new tariff for this Dominion be equrtable, but few years will pass when many thousands of additional workers will be attracted to this young country to assist in building up the ’secondary industries. New Zealand to-day imports millions of pounds’ worth of articles that might easily be produced under good conditions and at fair prices here. A weakness in the present Government and the past Governments has been that the State has concentrated mainly in the promotion of the primary industries. It is, of course, well known that the primary industries are the back-bone of the country, but much more might, ,for all that, have been done to assist tlie secondary industries. There is, therefore, a golden chance in front of Mr Massey and his colleagues to enact a new tariff that will be the •means of ushering in a grander era in respect of manufacturing in this Dominion. We sincerely trust that the opportunity will bo firmly grasped.