THE TRADE COMMISSIONER'S REPORT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15169, 7 December 1912, Page 9

THE TRADE COMMISSIONER'S REPORT.

Sir,—You were good enough to notice my recently-published first annual report to the Board of Trade in your issue of November 23. I must thank you in the first place for your kind remarks as to the merits of tho report. I wish, however, with your permission, to correct an inference which you draw from it. You write that I do not appear to be " wholely muzzled " as regards tariffs and preferences which the Imperial Trade Coramission is supposed not to touch upon, and you seem (o infer t 1 *t I am in favour of preferential duties. would state in the first place that it wa. nay em<3©ayur, m accordance -with my official instructions, to do no more in reference to existing laws of the Dominion than state facts, certainly not to sfivo out opinions on them favourable or tho reverse. It is the concern of tho Legislature to give or withhold preferential duties; my duty is confined to studying the effects of tho differential rates, endeavouring to secure all possible benefit that may result for British firms, and to being prepared with facts when any change in the existing legislation is proposed. I take it for granted that the preferential duties on foreign goods have influenced trade to Great Britain becauso it is usually taken for granted, ar.d because 1 havo no proof that this is not the case. Proof in the matter one way or tho other it is almost impossible to adduce, for tho reason that the official statistics are based upon the country of invoicing, and not on the country of manufacture. Apart from tho above considerations, it is perhaps worth remarking on a point of view of preferential duties which islfefton lost eight of. In many, if not most, clas!<os of goods those manufactured in the TJnitod Kingdom are of bettor Quality than others, and even if higher in price they are not proportionately higher. In other words, they represent fetter yaluo m tho.lop s such

goods aro being kept out of the market lag ''«':■ prejudice or by the low price of goods 66 .'"- intrinsically low value, it maybe argued tbat preferential duties are doing as mucto : good to the Dominion as to anyone else. W. G. WICKHAM, H.M. Trade Commissioner* :