TARIFF RECIPROCITY

Otago Witness, Issue 3556, 9 May 1922, Page 7

TARIFF RECIPROCITY

AIR DOWNIE STEWART’S RETURN. AUCKLAND, Alay I. The tariff negotiations between New Zealand and Australia were the subject of a statement by the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, on his arrival from Sydney. He 'could not make any forecast as to how far the agreement would prove satisfactory to the New Zealand Parliament, or the Australian Parliament. It had to be remembered that the previous agreements had failed to secure ratification. The present agreement wn*. however, on a much more elaborate scale than anything hitherto attempted. Apart altogether from what was decided upon, certain further proposals were made by the Commonwealth Government of a farreaching nature, which he promised to submit to his colleagues for their consideration. These involved issues which had not, been considered before he left New Zealand, and he therefore did not feel warranted in taking action regarding them. vv tide avoiding any reference to the terms of the proposed treaty, the Alinister said arrangements had been made whereby goods of British origin in transit through either country, or re-exportod from either country, ceased to be subjected to extreme tariff. It had been intended that this should operate as from Alay 1. But he had not yet heard whether the necessary steps had been taken in Melbourne and Wellington. As to the remainder of the tariff proposals. said the Minister, if the tentative agreement was allowed, it should help to restore the volume of trade to something approaching that ruling prior to the recent revision of tariff in both countries.