TARIFF PREFERENCE

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11654, 19 October 1923, Page 6

TARIFF PREFERENCE

CONFUSION OF IDEAS rOOREST CLASSES IN BRITAIN WOULD SUFFER. FREE TRADER'S VIEW. By Tel ear" oh. Prp A san. —Copy ri srh t. Reuter's Telegram. LONDON, October 17. Sir John Simon, speaking at the National Liberal Club on the Government’s preference proposals, said he hoped his fellow-citizens ovejscas would not mind a little plain speaking. It was useless to conduct sucli a contro versy by empty compliments. There was "grave danger of confusion of ideas at the outset. He pointed out that the preference practised by the dominions tended to decrease the price tho consumer had to pay for the article enjoying preference. Preference in Britain would increase the prices to the poorest, who at present enjoyed the results of a free market. HOPELESS EFFORT SKLF-SUPPORTING Elsl PIRE. Reuter’s Telegram. (Received October 18, 7.15 p.m.) LONDON, October 17. Sir John Simon said the Govern.* merit’s preference proposals might be trumpery ancl negligible, but they involved ihe important admission that the next step was impossible without taxing food.. Mr Bruce had said it was useless dodging the main issue, making it fairly clear that his ultimate idea was to tax food’ and raw materials. Referring particularly to the propoa al for a guarantee of preference cn sugar for 10 years. Sir John Sim<.-n asked what right any Government had to continue the buiden on one of the most important foodstuffs, and concluded that the Empire would best justify itself by declaring that at heart it adhered to the principle of trading with the whole world, not by a hopeless effort to be self-supporting. LABOUR OPPOSITION “AN INSUPPORTABLE BURDEN.” PLEDGES VIOLATED. Reuter’s Telegram. (Received October 18, 10.25 p m.) LONDON, October 17. The official seal has been put on Labour's disapproval of Imperial pro ference. Mr J. H. Henderson, M.P. in a speech at Durham, declared that Mr Bruce was asking for tho full pro gramme of the tariff reformers. Pro ference would impose an insupportable burden on Britain’s impoverished people. Tho duty on dried fruits in volved a distinct violation of Mr Bonni Law’s election pledge, while the 10 years’ guarantee regarding, Empiregrown sugar would not bind a Laboui Government, if it materialised within the period. AMERICA’S INTEREST WILL SHE RETALIATE? Australian and N.Z. Cable Association(Received October 18, 7.45 p.m.) WASHINGTON, October 17. Keen interest is being taken here in the working out of the preferential tariff plan within the British Empire at the Imperial Conference. Although President Coolidge made it plain that the United States Government recognises the full right of the British Government and the Dominions to adopt a preference plan, there is no threat of retaliation from the White House. No doubt the high-tariff leaders in Congress and in the country will endeavour to use the British preferences as reasons for keeping up the high level of duties in this country.