SCIENTIFIC TARIFFS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume V, Issue 1357, 19 June 1918, Page 7

SCIENTIFIC TARIFFS.

ADDRESS BY MR J. B. LAURENSON. A meeting of the Canterbury Industrial Association was held last evening, Mr A. W. Jamieson presiding, when an address, entitled "A Scientific Tariff, and How it Operates," was delivered by Mr J. B. Laurenson. Mr Laurenson said that bis remarks were based upon a study of 15 or 16 tariffs, embracing such countries as Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Japan, and Italy. Many pre-war views and convictions had been altered and shaken, and in nothing more so than in the opinion of Customs taxation. Previous to the war we had practically only ourselves to consider, with the Empire as a second. Our outlook had been increased in width and depth. It was epiite impossible to consider this great question apart from our Allies, and he would say definitely that we dare not take a»y steps without fully and sympathetically reviewing the whole position in its relation to all the nations who were fighting with us. It was not until her tariffs gave Germany that power and wealth which enabled her to translate her dream that she set out on the war for world domination. One has only to review her trade figures from year to year to see how quickly she had been overtaking us in trade and commerce. Several causes contributed to this end, but the chief, in fact the great outstanding factor, was the scientific tariff and its application to trade and commerce. The German tariff was the most scientific tariff in the world, in that it operated entirely to the benefit of the German people, in revenue, protection to home industries, expansion of foreign trade, and increase of German ships, thus giving Germany a power little short of marvellous in her determination to win and hold foreign markets. On the other hand, tlie United Kingdom was practically Customs free; her ports were free, her trade was for the man who could supply, and her Navy was in existence for the purpose of keeping all trade routes open to Jew or Gentile.

They would agree that, under present conditions, to foster an industry it was necessary to protect it from cheap labour, dumping, subsidies, etc. He said nothing about the extent of protection, but merely stated that such protection was necessary.

Germany had quickly increased her exports to us of free" goods and decreased her dutiable goods, and at the same time increased her exports to us from £274,2D7 in 190.1 to £087,9:15 in 1913. The lesson to be learnt from these figures was so clear that one did not require to point it out. Although the U.SA. was highly protective, she did not increase her'trade with us in anything like the same proportion as Germany, and her free and dutiable ratio remained practically stationary. The American was just as keen a trader as the German, but he laboured under the handicap of a fixed duty.

Mr Laurenson concluded by saving that the late Hon. J. A. Miller'had slated that our tariff (and he carried it through Parliament) was a compromise at the best. "We don't want a compromise at this time; we must have a tariff framed witli a distinct object or objects; and it would require to be elastic, ami far-reachiog, so that all our