PREFERENTIAL TRADE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14301, 22 February 1910, Page 6

PREFERENTIAL TRADE.

BRITISH MANUFACTURERS' VIEWS. ■

[from our own correspondent.]

London, January 14. The British Manufacturers' Association ii at present engaged «in circularising the manufacturers of Great Britain with a view to ascertaining the requirements of each of • the British industries in the matter of tariff v : '}■ reform. On the subject of. colonial relations -> the circular ( says:"Appreciating the preferences given to British goods and bearing , ; ; in mind that the recent adoption of protect ' tive tariffs in the principal self-governing colonies is rapidly promoting their industrial development, the association is anxious - that those colonies should receive preferential treatment wherever possible, and par- • ticularly in such items as manufactures of. « wood, including builders' supplies and furniture. agricultural implements, mining i machinery, motor caYs, typewriters, leather, ; • blankets, rugs, and woollen manufactures generally, and other articles which they produce for export. In this connection the Manufacturers' Association is ascertaining the views of organisations representing manufacturers in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada." The Manufacturers' Association, anxious to encourage international . reciprocity, asks manufac- ; : turers to indicate the items in their particular industry to which they would be willing/. • that the following provision should he attached : —" Any of the foregoing when imported from any country, dependency, pro- > vince, or colony which , imposes no tax. or J. ; duty on like articles imported from the United Kingdom shall be imported free of duty." This clause will be attached to as,, many items as possible, so that it will be . : open to any of the colonies to attach similar provisions, in which cases the reciprocity ffei.; will work automatically. This procedure will obviate the necessity of any lengthy negotiation and will' leave the colonics,, free to do as they like in the way of reciprocity.