TARIFF ON WOOLLENS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22776, 9 July 1937, Page 13

TARIFF ON WOOLLENS

REDUCTION NOT FAVOURED MINISTER EXPLAINS VIEWS [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION'] WELLINGTON. Thursday Reference was made by the' Minister of Industries and Commence, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, to-day, to a Press Association report of the deputation which waited on him at Hastings on July 5 regarding the comiietition New Zealand woollen manufacturers have to meet from Australia. The president of the Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Baird, had said that importations from Australia were increasing. and a reduction in the tariff would enable a bigger proportion of goods to be imported from Great Britain. "In response to my question Mr. Baird stated that the object of his representations was first to protect our woollen mills, and secondly to encourage importation from Britain rather than from Australia," said Mr. Sullivan. " The Press Association report states that 1 expressed sympathy with tho proposal, and it is possible that manufacturers may construe this as an indication that 1 was agreeable to a reduction in the duty to enable greater importation of woollen goods from Great Britain. This is not so, and I made it abundantly clear to the deputation. 1 was sympathetic toward the New Zealand industry, and said that there could be no argument against the principle of first building up our own local industrv, and secondly, if we must import,'it is right and proper that our orders should be given preferably to the United Kingdom, which is our best customer," continued Mr. Sullivan. " 1 desire to make this clear so that it will not be imagined that I expressed agreement with the proposal to reduce tile duties on imported woollen goods in competition with our local manufacturers."