TARIFF INQUIRY

Grey River Argus, 8 June 1933, Page 5

TARIFF INQUIRY

ROYAL COMMISSION Manufacturers’ Views (P' r Press Association). WELL! XGTON, June 7. 'I he Royal Commission investigating the customs tariff, held its first sitting tor the taking of exidence to-day. The- Chairman (Controller of Customs) outlined the order of reference and oth<'r matters connected with tho proue hire already published) ami proceeded to hear the evidence of A. E. Mander. Secretary of the N p w Zealand Manufacturers’ Association. WELLI N(n’()N, June 7.

Mr Mandur said that the New Zea'and Manufacturers’ Association endorsed the principle of preferential tariff and desired that the United Kingdom should have as large a share as possible of the Dominion’s import trad' l . New Zealand manufacturers wished to obtain as much of lheir material as possible from the home market, but if British industries pressed too far for tariff reductions Dominion manufacturers would be forced to buy their materials nnd plant from cheaper sources. Tin “big Farm*’ idea, which was advocate 1 by sonic farmers, was ale surd, u> farming alone could not support the whole population, and those who could not find a pla<*i* on the. land would become middlemen and non-pro-ducers With the large : umy of unemployed, the problem was how- to expand the country’s industries for the purpose of absorbing both those out of work, and the natural increase in population. If manufacturing industries were crippled by reduced protection there would be a heavy loss to the State in taxation of definitely more than £1,600,000 a vear.

Apart altogether from the loss of a substantial portion of their rates, power boards would b<« ruined, and the whole financial structure of hydro-elec-trie schemes would crash. Businesses would lose by (he unemployment of industrial workers. Tens of thousands of customers of farni"rs would suffer severely in the best market, the New Zealand market

After hearing the conclusion of tho evidence supporting the manufacturers’ case, the Commission adjourned till to morrow, when the evid' nee of several Wellington importers will be taken.