TARIFF CHANGES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 208, 3 September 1934, Page 8

TARIFF CHANGES

THE NEWS AT HOME BUSY DAY IN LONDON LONDON, July 12. The alterations in the New Zealand tariffs, news of which was dramatically received on. the eve of the Government's stalenient on lhe meat policy, may or may not have had some influence on the Cabinet yesterday morning when they were finally considering subsidies, quotas, and levies. The secrecy of Cabinet meetings is well preserved. All the leading newspapers published the details of the alterations that were available from the cabled messages, and supplemented the messages by reference to the existing tariff list, but little or no comment has so far been made on the question. The Evening Standard and the Daily Express, however, are exceptions. Both these Beaverbrook publications seized on the news to fortify their arguments in favour of Empire Free Trade. “New Zealand,” says the Express, in large letters, “has again led Britain and the Dominions along the road to Empire Free Trade.” “New Zealand,” says the Standard, in a leading article, “has made a generous gesture. Once again she has taken a notable step forward on the road that leads to a full realisation of Empire Free Trade. Her decision to reduce her tariffs on certain classes of British manufactures exposes in a more than ever unhappy light Mr. J. H. Thomas’ reception of the ‘feeler’ she put forward some months ago. Mr. Thomas was cold and flippant. The New Zealand Government has shown itself warm and earnest. She answers the rebuff administered to her by bringing us gifts and asking nothing in return. . . ‘The leaven works. The ideal of Empire Free Trade has taken a firm hold of the Imperial imagination. Nothing can stay its progress. Each step towards it facilitates the next. Who now can denounce it as impracticable or deny that the Dominions are willing to carry it out to the full?” Telephone Lines Busy. During to-day more than one Department of the High Commissioner’s Office has been having an extremely busy time. The number of telephone calls has been abnormally large. Those business firms which have the existing tariff list are able to get down to the facts of the new tariff, but those who have not will have to wait for a few days before they are able to find out whether their particular commodities are affected by the alterations. Inquiries at the High Commissioner’s Office continued all day ami questions were answered so far as it was possible. A preliminary statement has been prepared by the High Commissioner’s staff and a good many hundred copies will be issued during the next few days. By means of this those who have the old tariff list will be able to work out for themselves the '/iformation they require. Many ea/s have been made for the old list, but there are no more copies available in London. Some 606. the complete supply, have long since been sold out. and exporters will have to wait probably for three months befor the new list arrives here. Although inquirers have not generally expressed their satisfaction with the tariff reductions, the immediate reaction on traders who are not regular exporters to New Zealanders seems to point to a considerable increase of exports of goods from Great Britain to the Dominion. Munthe had had almost to ‘commit murder’ to make Capri a bird sanctuary, and he lamented the fact that there was no similar sanctuary for humans. “‘Although there are arrangements for shooting men on a large as possible scale,’ Mr. Shaw said, ‘Nobody has started any protection-for-humans sanctuary where they cannot be shot. I am not at all sure that this cult of making a sport of bird slaughter has not a lot to do with the sport of kings—the slaughter of men.’ ”