TARIFF BOMB

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12116, 18 April 1925, Page 15

TARIFF BOMB

SOUTH AFRICAN SCHEME BLOW AGAINST EMPIRE ALLEGED BRITISH SELFISHNESS. Considerable inte/est has been created in business circles by the announcement that the South African Government will abolish Imperial preference, and will substitute two tariffs, the lower of which will be open to any country (says the Auckland “Star”). The effect of such a step will be to throw trade to countries like Holland and Germany and divert it from Britain and the dominions. Imperialists 6ee far-reaching moral results in the proposed move, declaring it to be the first big gesture on the part of a dominion against its sister nations. New Zealand will certainly be more affected from thie aspect than from any direct practical efforts. The move is considered as tending towards a weakening of a link in the chain binding the Empire together. It is contrary to the spirit of reciprocation which has recently been fostered between the sister dominions, and in which New Zealanders throughout South Africa concurred. In the past, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand and other of the Empire have shown sincerity in their desire to extend privileges to each other, as well as to Great Britain herself. Under the present circumstances, therefore, the contemplated move by South Africa seems to indicate that she will have to play a lone hand. | There is no doubt, states one authority, that considerable irritation has been felt in South Africa at the attitude of \ British commercial interests, which have been frankly selfish in taking favours without granting them. On the other hand, there is an old couplet to the effect that “in matters of trading the fault of the Dutch is giving too little and taking too much.” The Dutch element in South Africa lias felt particularly sore at not being able to get aa much out of the preference arrangement as they would have liked.. FORCING BRITAIN’S HAND.

What is aimed at in the proposed alteration is forcing the hand of Great Britain, an.d compelling her to bid against Germany and Holland in order *to keep the trade of the Union. There [have been genuine grievances against the Mother Country. South Africa exports to London about £30,000,000 of jgold annually. To get back the price j'or this costs her £2 15s per cent. UnI er the prick of this injustice she recently tried the experiment of sending half a million to be coined into sovereigns in South Africa itself. Another grievance is one that we have felt in Australia. It comes from that England has entered into 1 relations with Continental centres to manufacture, for the English trade certain articles which are British only in part, or m the fact that British capital has paid for them. It was to get |over tills method of obtaining dominion preference for spurious British {goods that the principle has lately been inti oduced into all Australian commercial treaties that no preference can be accorded to goods 75 per cent, of which has not been actually manufactured in Great Britain or tin? dominions. Furthermore, it is essential that the final process must be done in Britain or the dominion in question.