TARIFF POLICY TO STAND

Taranaki Daily News, 29 March 1933, Page 6

TARIFF POLICY TO STAND

protection of industries DELAYED INQUIRY EXPLAINED.

BRITISH TRADERS NOT YET READY. DIVERSITY OF EMPLOYMENT NEED. By Telegraph.— Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. Assurances that the Government dbes not intend to depart from the established tariff policy of the Dominion in regard to secondary industries were given today bv the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. G W." Forbes) to a large deputation from the Auckland Manufacturers’ Association which had made special reference to the free trade propaganda carried on by certain farming interests. . . Mr. Forbes also stated the delay m opening the tariff inquiry agreed upon at Ottawa was due to. the fact that British manufacturers’ representatives in New Zealand were not ready to begin.. The Government’s policy now, as in the past, was to give reasonable protection to secondary industries, Mr. Forbes said, in order that they might be firmly established. To this the Government adhered, and there was no intention of departing from it. .... So far as it concerned the idea that New Zealand should be only a primary producing country, Mr. Forbes felt diversity of employment was needed to provide for people of different abilities and to place the Dominion in a more self-reliant position than it would otherwise occupy. New Zealand had built up a number of fine secondary industries which produced articles of high grade and well able to compete with others made elsewhere. One of the Dominion’s obligations under the Ottawa agreement was to hold a tariff inquiry for the purpose of finding out whether any industries were uneconomic and whether in any respect the British manufacturer did not have reasonable opportunity to sell in New Zealand. _ . It would be realised that Britain must pay for New Zealand produce in goods and Britain had the right to look for a fair measure of trade. The tariff preferences hitherto given were real and were appreciated in Britain; moreover, the New Zealand tariff was very low in comparison with that of Australia and the British manufacturer w*as given greater opportunities to do business. New Zealand, in fact, had gone to considerable lengths to keep its tariff at a reas- ’ enable level. ' The Government had been prepared ’ for some time past to open a tariff inquiry. It had asked the representatives of British manufacturers if they were ready to begin. They had replied they were not. The Government had been blamed for the delay, but it could not set up a commission until the British interests were prepared to start Mr. Forbes was convinced any difficulties that might be disclosed could be adjusted without harm to any New Zealand manufacturers whose businesses were being carried on efficiently.