AUSTRALIAN TARIFF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21579, 26 February 1932, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN TARIFF

PROHIBITIONS REMOVED SEVERAL CLASSES OF GOODS. CANBERRA, February (Received Feb. 25, at 9 p.m.) The Federal Government to-day removed the tariff prohibition on the importation of 43 classes of goods, including biscuits, confectionery, ale, beer, cigarettes, cigars, soaps, candles, peanut butter, onions, canary seed, electrical heating and cooking appliances, dry batteries, glue, cements, baths, sinks, certain types of agricultural implements, ploughs, fertilisers, reapers, harvesters, rakes, chaffcutters, preserved pork, preserved meats, and dried milk. POLICY OUTLINED. CANBERRA, February 25. (Received Feb. 20, at 0.30 a.m.) Outlining the tariff policy the Minister for Customs (Mr H. S. Gullett) said that the Government stood first for an adequate measure of Protection for the maintenance or establishment of industries, for which Australia offered reasonable economic opportunities. “We look with disfavour on prohibitive duties which are calculated to create undesirable monopolies end provoke retaliation by foreign countries which are valuable customers for our primary products,” said Mr Gullett. “ Drastic changes to the existing tariff schedule will not be made on Ministerial initiative; on the contrary, the Government will accept the guidance of the Tariff Board, and in broad principle will follow its recommendations.”

Mr Gullett pointed out that in addition to removing the prohibition upon a number of articles the duties would be increased on electrical heating apparatus and other goods, and decreased upon whisky, gin, tobacco, chinaware, earthenware, glassware, printers’ type, tools, writing and stencilling ink, potted meats, confectionery and various other items.