TARIFF DUTIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22917, 21 December 1937, Page 20

TARIFF DUTIES

MANUFACTURERS' VIEWS CRITICISM BY IMPORTERS POLICY OF CONTROL In further reply to statements b.y the 'Auckland Manufacturers' Association, the Bureau of Importers states it has done nothing more or less than place certain , facts before the consumers, In its earlier remarks it had pointed out that manufacturers evidently desired to shut out all manufactured imports in order that they could create a huge monopoly controlled by New Zealand manufacturers. "No adequate reply has been made to the facts which we have supplied," continues the bureau, ''but we notice from the remarks which appeared in the New Zkaland Hkrat.d of December 20 that the manufacturers now state that 'imports must be regulated if factories are to be kept open and flourishing.' We again draw the consumers' notice to our previous statements, in which we referred to the fact that British boots and shoes, because they are of a type which cannot be achieved by the local manufacturer, are still being purchased in New Zealand, in spite of the barrier of 65 per cent represented by the landing charges. "Because British footwear still sells in New Zealand, in spite of the huge barrier of 65 per cent in the shape of landing charges, the manufacturers want it 'regulated' off the market. Doubtfess if the New Zealand Manufacturers' Federation succeeded in having British leather footwear shut out under a quota or tariff system, it would encourage them to secure complete monopolistic control of all industries by some form of trade restriction. v "One of the objects of the Bureau of Importers is to acquaint New Zefiland consumers of the penalty this country will have to pay if uneconomic, and in many cases inefficient, industries are allowed to control the Government of this country. "We again repeat: Let the Manufacturers' Association definitely say "Yes" or "No" as to whether or not it lias been attempting to force the New Zealand Government to shut out British manufactured leather footwear."