SERIOUS POSITION

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 13, 6 April 1927, Page 13

SERIOUS POSITION

PROMPT HELP DEMANDED SlIuP KITCHENS COMING (From Our Resident Correspondent .) WELLINGTON, To-day. “If we are not going to have soup kitchens all over the country this winter the timber industry must have greater protection from the Government within the next week or two,” declared Mr. F. Turley ,in speaking for the big timber deputation before the Prime Minister, Messrs W. Downie Stewart, A. D. McLeod, and K. S. Williams, to-day. West Coasters asked for a greater wall against foreign stuff. Mr. Downie Stewart said the matter of an extra tariff would have to be considered by Cabinet. If immediate action was essential overwhelming evidence amounting almost to a national crisis would have to be obtained, sane arguments advanced, and sane statements made previously. Mr. R. Smith, M.P.: I told you the responsibility was yours. Mr. Stewart: Yes, and I accepted the responsibility. Mr. Smith: Chaos came alright, as I said. Mr. Stewart: Yes, but we got through. Within the next two or three days protests will come that we should not move without an exhaustive inquiry. Mr. T. Y. Seddon, M.P.: Who will object? Mr. Stewart: Well, importers and others will object. They have to get a hearing. He said that one difficulty was that the position was frequently exaggerated. The temporary embarrassment of the industries would cure itself in a short time. To make a high tariff to meet a temporary difficulty would only put a permanent burden on to the consumer. This was unnecessary. The Tariff Commission was investigating, and on this aspect his lips were sealed at the moment.

Mr. Coates assured the deputation that it was the desire of the Government to look after our people before' outsiders. It was hoped to carry on importation only to a point where it would cease to assist industry within the Dominion.