Report of the British Economic Mission to Australia

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Monograph

Identifikator:: 179824683X

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-182286

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Report of the British Economic Mission to Australia

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: His Majesty's Stationery Office

Year of publication:: 7th January 1929

Scope:: 63 S.

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

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Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Part II. Main problems

Collection:: Economics Books

Necessity for Full scientific snquiry. Avoidance of ncreases of duties pend- ng enquiry. Protection when given i0 be effec- ve Reductions of duties and sffect on British reference. The task of he British nanufac- turer. conditions of his industry generally. The recipient of protection is obtaining a benefit from the public and should be required in return to give to the trustees for the public all the information necessary to enable them to satisfy themselves that the benefit is not being abused. 56. We should not be justified by the extent of our knowledge in pursuing the matter in further detail. We are aware that much of the information necessary for a scientific revision of the Tariff is not available anywhere, but we are confident that it is argently necessary that a full scientific enquiry and investigation should forthwith be instituted by the Commonwealth Government into the wide question of the economic effect of the tariff and the incidence of its duties, with the particular object of furnishing veliable advice to the Government as to the removal of any extravagances and anomalies which it may be found to contain, as to the confinement of its benefits to industries which may reasonably be regarded as efficient, and as to the reduction of ts total cost to the community. 57. We consider that while the investigation is proceeding egislative or administrative action to increase duties or impose leferred duties should, so far as is consistent with the continued Affective working of the existing tariff, be avoided, in order that he investigaton may proceed so far as possible untroubled by dis- urbing changes in its subject matter. 58. We think that the protection which it may ultimately be lecided to afford to efficient industries should be high enough to be ‘ully effective so long as the condition of efficiency is satisfied. This may mean in some cases even higher duties on imports than are imposed at present, with consequent encouragement to oversea manufacturers to bring their capital and skill to Australia to assist n local production. 59. In some cases investigation on the lines we recommend, ‘ollowed by appropriate governmental and legislative action, may mean reduction of duties. We realize that reduction in the rate of duty on an article in regard to which preference is accorded to Great Britain may sometimes mean a reduction in the amount of the preference. But if the reduction of the duty is to the economic advantage of Australia and calculated to enhance her prosperity that, as we hope we have sufficiently indicated already, is, to us, the important thing. Great Britain has more to gain in the long run from that source than from any amount of preference wceorded to her own as against foreign products, valuable as the tariff preferences which are granted to her in Australia undoubtedly are. 60. For the rest it is for British manufacturers themselves, if they desire to take advantage of the opportunities of Australian trade, to bestir themselves energetically in the matter by establish- ing branches of their business in Australia where the goods of the

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