BEYOND TARIFFS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 244, 15 October 1932, Page 8

BEYOND TARIFFS

LOW-PRICED GOODS i JAPANESE IMPORTATIONS DEPUTATION TO MR FORBES I [ Per Press Association. I WELLINGTON. Oct. IL Urging that ""increasing importations of cheap footwear from Japan, the Malay States and Straits Settlements were a menace not only to manufacturers, and operatives in New Zealand but also to the farmers and the tanning industry, a deputation from the Now Zealand Boot Employees’ Federation and the New Zealand Boot Manufacturers’ Association waited on the Prime Minister to.request Government intervention. Hon. G. W. Forbes promised to look into t'..e question. Mr F. Jones, M.P., introduced the deputation. He said they were anxious to bring under the Prime Minister’s notice the growing importation of canvas and rubber shoes and complete rubber shoes. The duty was 50 per cent, on imports from Japan and 25 per cent, on others, but since the average prices of the goods were only lid (Japanese) and Is 6d (Malayan) the duty did not make much difference. The retail prices were so cheap that working men were induced to wear the shoes in the .-summer months. Mr C. A. Watts, secretary to the federation, said, that the Japanese shoo was a splendid imitation of that imported from Canada and was so much cheaper that Canada would soon lose the market. Mr J. A. East, president of the Boot Manufacturers’ Association, declared that these cheap shoes were a menace to the industry. Borne of the rubber .shoes wore such good imitations of leather that, they would probably come to be worn in the winter months, also ruining the winter trade. “No civilised country could face compeition of this sort.” said the Prime Minister. “Ono of our big problems is in regard to these excessively low-priced goods. Formerly we have been always able to deal with these matters by tariffs, but it seems that these goods are beyond even tariffs.” He mentioned several other examples of “staggeringly low prices” at which Japanese goods were being sold and promised to discuss the whole matter with the Comptroller of Customs.