DOMINION INDUSTRIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22319, 17 January 1936, Page 11

DOMINION INDUSTRIES

OVERSEAS COMPETITION HIGHER TARIFFS SOUGHT SYMPATHY OF GOVERNMENT [by TELEGRAPH— PRESS association] WELLINGTON, Thursday Some of the major problems confronting the manufacturing industries of tho Dominion were outlined by a deputation from the Manufacturers' Federation, which waited on the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, the Minister of Finance, the Hon. Walter Nash, and the Minister of Industries and Commerce, the Hon D. G. Sull ivan, to-day. Hie deputation was particularly concerned about the tariff on Australian and Canadian goods, and asked for an increase of 15 per cent compared with the tariff on British goods. It was also concerned about the operation of the exchange rate and sales tax and Japanese competition in the textile trade. Mr. Savage said the Government's disability was the accumulations of the last 16 years. He had been in Parliament for that period and he had watched the barriers being erected against New Zealand and its people. "We have been here eight or nine days trying to implement our policy," Mr. Savage said, "and it does not seem reasonable that it can be done in that time. The accumulations of 15 or 16 years are pretty large. There are such things as the rate of exchange, which was raised in spite of our opposition, and the sales tax, to which the same thing applies. A lot of your complaints have risen out of those things. "There is any amount of room for development' within the British Commonwealth of Nations. That has been our policy always, but it is only now that wo have our chance. You can take my word for it, we are not going to sleep on the job. Some of our men are working almost all round the clock to provide the Cabinet with reports that will enable it to instruct the law draftsmen. "What you have been saying we have been saying. Our job is to try to put back some of what has been taken away. You promised your co-operation, and we wholeheartedly accept it. No doubt you will be able to help us in shaping the conditions that should be. You have the wholehearted sympathy and co-operation of the Government." Mr. Sullivan said the Government wanted to build up New Zealand industries, and its attitude was "New Zealand first, the British Commonwealth of Nations second, and other countries third." Mr. Nash said: "If we are to control the external trade with the countries with whom we are dealing, they will determine what they will take by negotiation and we will determine what wo will tako by negotiation."