THE COST OF IMPORTING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21471, 20 April 1933, Page 13

THE COST OF IMPORTING

Sir, —In ,1 rcc-ent article you supported the lit. Hon. J. G. C'oates' assertion that preference is still given to British manulacturcd goods imported to New Zealand. It is quite true that British lines pay less than foreign, but to-day the average cost of landing British apparel and other soft goods lines in New Zealand is So per cent. Is this a favoured nation tariff? Because foreign-made articles of the same class cost ]ls per cent, does that help the British manufacturers or the local merchant to increase business't No; tlie one tariff cuts trade by 50 per cent and the other tariff settles it entirely. Last year J spent severnl months in England, during which my business brought me into touch with manufacturers in London and the Midlands. Before the Ottawa Conference there was a distinct feeling that New Zealand was not fairly treating British manufacturers. After Ottawa [ spent a week in Leicester and Nottingham with a buyer for a big shipping house who had received a largo number of orders from New Zealand, consequent on the reduction in customs duties. These orders were placed for different deliveries, some of which had to pay the extra exchange, thus entirely counteracting the reduced customs duty. Mr. Coates hopes the public will not ask for too much information on this subject, but surely 85 per cent is likely to cause more statements such as were made recently in the House of Commons that we have broken our promises made at Ottawa. We cannot expect to do a one-way business. Ships full leaving New Zealand and coming out in ballast from England will not help our farmers or in any way improve the present deplorable conditions here. W. M. Jacks.