AWAITED WITH INTEREST

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 509, 12 November 1928, Page 9

AWAITED WITH INTEREST

SAFEGUARDING ACT DEBATE IN THE COMMONS British Official Wireless RUGBY, Saturday. The debate oil the safeguarding of industry, which will be raised in the House of Commons on Wednesday, is awaited with keen interest. The position regarding the proposed extension of safeguarding was recently made clear in a letter from the Prime Minister, Mr. Baldwin, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr., Winston Churchill, in the House of Commons last evening, said that the statement had the unanimous approval of Cabinet. According to that letter there would be no general system of protection, but an industry which applied for safeguarding would not he prevented from making its case before an authoritative and competent tribunal. Mr. Baldwin added that evidently it would be necessary for all parties, including those in agriculture who were affected by any application for safe guarding, to have a locus standi before the tribunal. This reference to agriculture has occasioned some comment, in view of the Government's pledge against food taxes. But it is dear that the intention is to enable the agricultural interests to oppose before the tribunal any application for safeguarding duties by another industry, which, in the view of agriculturists, might adversely affect their interests.