POLITICAL NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 7 October 1922, Page 7

POLITICAL NOTES.

TARIFF BARGAINING.

(By Telegraph.—Special to Star.)

WELLINGTON, Oct. 6. New Zealand, taking advantage of Australian anxiety to secure the Do--minion market m dried frjiits,, has »been able to drive a good bargain for our oat growers. Tne Minister of Customs told the House that when the tariff agreement was passed some items were left o to be cleared up Australia wished; to have the suspended duties on dried fruits maintained, but imposed against Mediterranean- and foreign fruits. He'tried to secure for this concession the free entry of New Zealand oats into Australia. Cables had been passing to secure- this, as there was. already^ a considerable' export of oats to Australia. Finally Australia had agreed to reduce the duty on New Zealand .oats from Is 6d to Is per cental-if-New Zealand would impose the: suspended dut:es< on dried fruits. He was advised by the .Customs Department that New Zealand could afford to do this, as Australian dried rruits were of first-rate quality and that they had a big market for currants in New Zealand.

Mr. Wilford: Will the prkes be the / same if .the concession is granted? The- Minister .replied that he- had ■ made it clear to the Australian Government that the imposition of the duty on dried bruits other than from Australia was for the purpose of secur ' - ing them the market -and not ; to enable them to raise their*prices. He added that New Zealand had been able to secure favourable terms\ for some ~ other items. Australia had" agreed toan increase from 25 to 30 per cent, on Australian com brooms "imported into New Zealand. This would < yin crease the protection to New Zealand brooms made in Auckland, Christ'church and Dunedin. This concession was made on the understanding that Australian asbestos sheets v would be allowed iito New Zealand atSthe Brit- i ish preferential rate^W ljO per cent. He had not been able to do "anything, in regard to motor bodes, a subject * on which New Zealand maVers were somewhat apprehensive. ; The main item was to secure the market foprNew Zetland oats, and .as for'extra revenue, he had not considered this so much as the obtaining of adequate protection for New Zealand " indiistries. ' If the agreement was effected in. regard to dried fruits smd oats the reduction of the Australian duty on oats would not operate until next January.

THE RABBIT PEST

Some hope of more effective measures to combat the rabbit pest was given by' the Minister of Lands when - members, during the discussion of the Lands Estimates, complained strongly of the Government's offences in this respect on its iinleased ,Crown lands.' The Hon. D. H. Guthrie state.d ..that Cabinet had decided to do away with, the former dual control of the Landjf and Agricultural Departments and. £6 place the responsiVlity for these lands« on the Agriciiltural Department. A vote of £12.950 had-been placed at the disposal ,of the Minister of Agriculture to deal with, the rabbit pest. There- / fore he felt justified, in assuring njerobers thft they might^exp'eet t&i£ \sn»t--ter to be dealt with in n systematic • and effective way. As the vote,-he v mentioned wns $i new one it meant that the Agricultural Department tvould have a total.of £18,000 available for the work.