IMPORTERS CONFER

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 256, 28 September 1932, Page 7

IMPORTERS CONFER

SUGGESTED FEDERATION.

FHOBLESIS OF TEADE. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Sept. 28. A conference of delegates, representing the interests of importers from Auckland, Christchurch, 'Dunedin and Wellington, was held this morning to consider the desirability of forming a New Zealand Importers’ Federation, Mr Edwin Salmond, president of the Wellington Importers’ Association, presiding. In opening the conference, Mr Salmond said that up to the present the importer had been “nobody’s baby,” and indeed it would almost seem that a section of the public appeared to hold the view that the importers were hardly if at all necessary, whereas •the importers were an essential link in the chain of commerce. In point of fact, the importer acted as an expert buying agent for the general public. It might safely be asserted that the importer served the New Zealand public well.

Proceeding, he said that if one were called upon to point to one factor operating more strongly than any other to delay the lifting of the present world-wide depression, one would inevitably point to the high tariffs. Signs were not wanting, however, that the world was beginning to realise its folly, and that before long the channels of trade would be open for traffic. It had been stated that the Government had been the reverse of what was anticipated. It was cheering to learn from statements by the Prime Minister and Mr Coates that the Customs Bill this week would embody reductions in the duties on British goods, but he hoped that at the same time reductions would be made in the general tariff. EXCHANGE QUESTION. Another matter outstandingly requiring their attention was that of the exchange. He hoped the movement in favour of artificial inflation of the exchange was dying. While it would have been folly to inflate, a month or two back, now in the light of the Ottawa agreement it would practically amount to cheating, as it would be breaking the essence of the agreement.

With regard to preference to British goods, he said the question of the margin of preference should be most carefully considered. _ Was there not a danger if the margin was too great that the New Zealand, public might suffer without benefit to the British manufacturers as a whole. SECONDARY, INDUSTRIES.

In regard to secondary industries, he emphasised that the importers were in no way antagonistic to those worth while or, in otner words, economically sound, but it seemed necessary to endeavour to define just what an economic industry was. He suggested that the definition was an industry which benefited the community as a whole. It was not enough that an industry should pay-,big dividends and employ a certain number of people. It was quite possible to do these things at the expense of the rest of the community. If they were successful in forming an Importers’ Federation, one of the first tasks should be to consider carefully the position of the secondary industries, to give what assistance they could to those which benefited the whole community, and fight for lower tariffs on goods manufactured by the secondary industries that in the federation’s opinion were not economic. Concluding, Mr Salmond mentioned that, when recently he told Mr Forbes they had formed the Wellington Importers’ Association, Mr Forbes was frank enough to say that resolutions from provincial associations rarely carried much weight with any Government, and Mr Forbes stressed the necessity of a New Zealand Federation if it was desired to make their weight The proceedings at the conference are not open to the Press.