ADJUSTMENT OF TARIFFS

Taranaki Daily News, 10 March 1933, Page 7

ADJUSTMENT OF TARIFFS

AGREEMENTS AT OTTAWA NEW AUSTRALIAN SCHEDULE DOMINION NOT AFFECTED INVESTIGATION CONTINUES By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. Canberra, March 9. The tariff schedule giving effect to. the Ottawa agreement, tabled by the Minister of Customs, Mr. T. W. White, provides for increased duties on eight lines of goods and 51 reductions of special duties. A resolution was tabled freeing from the 50 per cent, surcharge 13 important groups of goods, including gramophone records, motor-cycles and frames, motor vehicles, bodies and assembled motor-cars and chassis. Excepting by special agreement or to the New Zealand Government, nothing in the resolution covering the special duties will affect any goods manufactured or produced in New Zealand entering the Commonwealth from New Zealand. . Mr. White said that, irrespective of the Ottawa agreements, this trend in tariff adjustment was inevitable and essential to bring it to a reasonable level. There were prohibitive rates on many items on which the Tariff Board had not an opportunity to report, as was provided they should do under the Act. While the results might be unsatisfactory to sincere free traders or stem protectionists, the aim was to attain a fair balance between primary and secondary industries and, in conjunction with the comprehensive schedule already before the House, to bring the greatest measure of development of employment and general prosperity to Australia.