BRITAIN'S TARIFF BILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21110, 18 February 1932, Page 9

BRITAIN'S TARIFF BILL.

COMMONS DEBATE ENDS.

SECOND READING PASSED. OVERWHELMING MAJORITY. BRIGHTER TRADE OUTLOOK. BASIS FOR EMPIRE TALKS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received February ]7, 8.35 p.m.) LONDON", Feb. 16. During the debate in the House of Commons on the motion for the second reading of the Import Duties Bill, Sir Robert Home (Conservative —Hillhead, Glasgow) said he welcomed the fact that it provided means for retaliation aga'inst any country which discriminated against Britain.

The bill would bring freer trade than Britain had enjoyed for the last two generations. It was a basis on which could be built a scientific system which would be formed by the proposed Advisory Committee.

Dealing with the list of exempted goods Sir Robert suggested that a fair criterion to apply would be that if Britain and the Empire, together or separately, did not produce enough to supply the needs of British manufacturers then, prima facie at least, the commodity concerned should be exempt from duty. Bargaining With Dominions. Sir Archibald Sinclair, Secretary of State for Scotland, one of tne Liberal Ministers who disagreed .with the Cabinet's tariff policy, said that he and the other representatives of the free trade electors who supported the National Government only remained in it in the belief that it was indispensible, in view of the large issues to continue the National Government as a symbol of the unity of the nation.

Mr. S. Storey (Conservative —Sunderland) said he was a buyer of newsprint, but lie opposed its inclusion in the freS list. Although three-quarters of the local output came from mills owned by three newspaper groups, these groups used only one-third of their own mills' production The remainder was 6old in the open market.

Canada was capable of increasing her output of newsprint by 1,000,000 tons a year. Therefore, it was ridiculous to suggest .that Britain was forced to port 120,000 tons of foreign newsprint. Major C. R. Attlee (Labour —Limehouse) said the Dominions had not the least idea of allowing British manufacturers to swamp their own factories', outputs. ]n seeking to bargain with the Dominions Britain was up against British agriculture. Was the latter to be protected against the Dominions ? When they came down from the atmosphere of goodwill to bargaining with the Dominions they were as likely to find a quarrel as an agreement. Chancellor Replies to Debate.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, said the Government was satisfied with the debate. The only difficulty was that there was so little to answer. He trusted that the views of the member for Limehouse on Empire trade relations were not characteristic of the Labour Party. A prominent man from one of the Dominions had written to him after the opening of the debate, 6aying: " A new Empire was born yesterday. Henceforth we can proceed together in harmony and unity with the hope of a satisfactory outcome to our conversation."

The Chancellor proceeded to say that the speeches of three of liis dissentient colleagues were now recorded, embalmed and enshrined in Hansard, but unlike the mummies of Egyptian Kings they were not sealed and would remain available for inspection by anybody. Mr. Chamberlain said he agreed that a 10 per cent, tariff was not sufficient to check dumping. It would be necessary to adopt the method of prohibition of licences. That would entail a survey of the existing conventions. In regard to the free list each article had to be considered on its merits.

In reference to agriculture the Chancellor asked the. House to remember that the bill conferred definite benefits; also that they must not throw away all their cards before they started to converse with the Dominions. The motion for the second reading was carried by 451 votes to 73. WOOL INDUSTRY. PROPOSED SPLIT OPPOSED. ANXIETY AT BRADFORD. LONDON, Feb. 16. Mr. J. H. C. Hodgson, president of the Bradford Chamber of Commerce, speaking in that city, said that the Board of Tiade had been consulting representatives of industries in view of the possibility of apportioning sections of wool textile and other industries to be conducted by the Dominions, leaving the remaining sections to Britain. Some progress has been maße in this direction with other industries. Ho had insisted that no such arrangement regarding the wool trade was possible. If every delegate to the Ottawa Conference sought {he welfare of the Empire as a whole I here would be no question of bargaining to split the wool industry. FRANCE LIFTS SURTAX. BRITISH COAL EXEMPT. British Wireless. RUGBY. Feb. 16. The President of the Board of Trade, Mr. Walter Runciman, 6tated in the House of Commons this afternoon that the French Government had informed the British Government of its decision to exempt British coal from the imposition of the 15 per cent, surtax. The question of the application of the surtax to other goods remained for further consideration. The announcement was greeted with cheers, and a Conservative member observed: "Is this not the first illustration of the result of our tariff policy ?" In reply to various questions Mr. Runciman said it was the Government's intention to continue tho use of the powers it had under the Abnormal Importations and Customs Duties Act if it became necessary to do so, although he could not indicate what might be included in any future order.