LOCAL INDUSTRIES

Hokitika Guardian, 6 August 1934, Page 8

LOCAL INDUSTRIES

BENEFITS OF PROTECTION

CASE FOR MANUFACTURERS

WELLINGTON, August 2

The Minister of Customs, Mr Coates; to-day considered a. number of points submitted to him by Mr A. E. Mander, . representing the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation'. . ; •

“If the Government were prepared even . t tliis stage to reverse its tariff policy,” said iur Mander, “and to in-, .crdase, instead of decreasing, all protective duties, every affected New Zealand manufacturer would give a.'guarantee to reduce the selling price of his goods. He would bo en'abled to do this as a result of enjoying a larger share of the market—increasing the industry’s output—land thus lowering pro-: duotion costs. We do n°t want a higher tariff, to enable us to raise, prices, but to give us a larger turnover. “Within three months there would be (at'least 9COO more workers employed in. New Zealand factories ; and within nine months at least 15,000, according to'a careful estimate made by the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation. This would-mean direct and indirect employment for 30,000 more .people; and even this number could be doubled if the degree of protection were further increased. It may be noted that in New South Wales alone the number of industrial workers . was increased by over 50,000 in one year.” On the subject of “Empire Content,’' Mr Mander said:—-“In view of the enormous preference now' given to ; British manuliictufora over their foreign competitors, it seems reasonable to expect that the goods admitted under such preference should be something more than ‘half-British.’ At present, an ‘Empire Content’ of only 50 per cent of the value of the imported goods is required to enable those goods to qualify as British. He urged that tliis proportion should be raised to 75 per cent—’which meant that, to eujoy the .benefits of British preference, the goods should be iat least three quarters British ” Referring to the danger of crippling New Zealand industries for the benefit, not of Great Britain, but of Australia, Mr Mander urged that it was quite unjustifiable to reduce the tariff .againsl Australian goods at the same time as /educing it on goods from . Great Britain. The Manufacturers’ Federation was much concerned about this laspeel' of the position, and. earnestly ihoped that the Government would safeguard it •r, . ? .. The question of primage’was-than raised, and also the matter of the’ Ablution of imports in terms of • sterling. Mr Goates and Dr G. Craig, • Comptroller of Customs, discussed these various points at some length with the manufacturers’ representative, and promised to give them further,,consideration.