POLICY UNALTERED

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 210, 18 August 1934, Page 3

POLICY UNALTERED

Several Minor Charges BUDGET NEXT THURSDAY Own Parliamentary Representative. WELLLTNGTON, August 17. Cabinet to-night, after a sitting lasting three and a-half hours, placed Its imprimatur on the Customs Bill which in its revised form will now be presented to the House of Representatives on Tuesday night in confirmation and adjustment of the resolutions approved nearly a month ago. As a result of the representations made to the Minister of Customs, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, since the House adopted the original resolutions, several alterations have been made in the schedules, hut these do not materially affect the revision then proposed, nor do they interfere with the policy enunciated of widening the scope of preference to British goods. In the words of Mr Coates “the revised schedules will still give effect to the spirit of the Ottawa agreement.” Satisfaction with the completion of the revision was expressed after Cabinet rose by Mr Coates, who, when reminded of the long hours he had spent on the undertaking, was disposed to make light of the task, stating that prior study of the problems, in conlunction with the expert advice of his departmental officers, had considerably lightened the work. Mr Coates said that he had now fixed Tuesday night for the introduction of the Customs Bill, and he was hopeful of securing the second reading of the measure before Thursday night. The intention was to introduce the new resolutions before the bill on Tuesday and to make a statement explaining the alterations. The Minister added that he intended to introduce the Budget and accompanying estimates at 7.30 p.m. on Thursday.