TARIFF ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3803, 1 February 1927, Page 76

TARIFF ASSOCIATION.

REGISTERED AT WELLINGTON. INCREASED DUTIES OPPOSED. 1 WELLINGTON, January 26. The fight for and against higher protection has hitherto been a confused sort of struggle, and the i*egistration to-day. under the Incorporated Societies Act of a Tariff Association, which is avowedly anti-protectionist, marks a departure. Will the protection-seeking manufacturers forge a similar weapon? Hitherto the composite character of organisations like the New Zealand Employers Federation and the Industrial Association has caused some puzzlement as to where these bod'es stand. There is little doubt as to where the Tariff Association stands. The association clarifies the position so far as its share of the anti-protection fight is concerned, for it makes war on any tariff that is not a revenue tariff, and it invites subscriptions for the express purpose of carrying on that campaign. Under that plan, it is pointed out, no one’s money is used for any purpose save that for which he specifically contributed it. There will be a minimum —but no maximum—subscription. The personnel of the signatories is as follows: —Messis L. Ashcroft Edwards (company manager), B. Harkness, (company manager), Hugh Charles Jenkins (publisher), Robert Kennedy (solicitor), Arthur A. George (draper), William Perry (farmer), W. D. Hunt (company manager), Sidney Kirkcaldie (company manager), Sir Alexander Roberts (merchant), Messrs Henry S. Hart (merchant), W. G. Duthie (ironmonger), A. De Batlie Brandon (barrister), T. C. Brash (secretary of the New Zealand Dairy Produce Board), Leonard H. Tripp (barrister and solicitor), lan F. Johnston (farmer), Samuel Turner (dairy produce agent), George Winder (solicitor). THE BRITISH MANUFACTURERS. The association will be pleased to hear that the objects of the Tariff Association include the retention of the principle of preference for British goods. The Tariff Association will be propagandist in a very definite way. and will offer evidence to any tariff board or committee, and will help in the election of suitably-pledged candidates for Parliament. A circular issued for the purpose of nviting subscriptions includes the following statement of its activities and aims:—■ “The Tariff Association is now legally registered, and is the only organisation which has for its chief object the prevention of a non-economic increase in the Customs tariff. It intends to create in every person in New Zealand a realisation of the danger to New Zealand nationally if New Zealand's policy is reversed by the imposition of a protective, rather than a revenue-producing, tariff. A New Zealand-wide campaign for funds is being planned. The Tariff Association considers that increased protection can result only in the community as a whole being unfairly taxed for the benefit of certain small sections. The position of the farmer upon whom we all depend would be very serious because his operating costs must proportionately increase, while the prices obtainable for his produce would, as at present, be entirely dependent upon the world parity. The Tariff Association can, if accorded fair financial support, ensure that no non-economic increase can be imposed without an impartial investigation.” Mr Winder said: “The Tariff Associa-tion’s-chief object is to rouse the public of New Zealand to the importance of the tariff issue which will be before the House next session. If the Tariff Association can rouse every elector in New Zealand to take sides on this question it will have attained its object, for the tariff question will then have no fear of being decided by the conflicting minority interests of the manufacturer and the importer. The people of New Zealand may take it as a fact that if the duty on clothes and shoes goes up 20 per cent., so will their price go up at least 20 per cent.”