Evening star., 1922-03-08
CANADIAN TARIFF
! CHANGES PLANNED
Premier Announces Sweeping
! Notifications Affecting
T Necessaries of Life.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
OTTAWA, Ont, March S.-Important
changes in the Canadian tariff, es-
pecially as affecting articles Of food
and clothing and the implements of
agriculture, mining, fishing and
dicted, at the first session of the
fourteenth parliament of Canada, con-
vening today.
Premier Mackenzie King, who ap-
pears before parliament today as head
of q liberal administration, has an
nounced his intention of making
sweeping changes in the tariff on
necessities of life. and also on ar
ticles needed in the fundamental in
dustries OF the Dominion. While it
is not expected that the premier can
carry out his entire program at his
first session. preliminary steps are to
be taken by reducing customs duties
on a number of items.
Tax Question Important.
The general question of taxation
will form as important a part of the
work of parliament as that of the new
Congress at Washington w. s. Field
ing, minister of finance, who held the
same office in 1911. when the reciproc-
ity pact with the New York States was
arranged, has had under consideration
for weeks important changes in the
federal taxation policy. No announce
ment has been made as to the policy
to be adopted by the government and
an effort will be made to keep the
secret until the annual budget is pre-
sented to parliament late in the
session.
The Meighen government. defeated
at the general election of December
last, named a tariff commission, which
took evidence throughout Canada
from representatives of all industries.
The result is now available to Mr.
King, but the question has been raised
that evidence taken by a conservative
commission may not be proper for
use by liberal government.
Legislation to encourage immigration
from the British Isles the United States
and some sections of Europe, in prefer
ence to the former enemy countries. is
forecast Tie government has been
urged by influential elements to take
measures to stimulate colonization to
fill up the vacant lands of the Dominion
and make business for the national rail-
ways Thousands of miles of these rail-
ways traverse country that is almost
entirely unpopulated.
other problems crying for solution at
the present session are the Canadian
national railways and the Canadian
merchant marine. Both systems have
been losing money at a rapid rate. Par
Lament now faces decision between
continuing the experiment of govern
ment ownership and turning over one
system or both to private operation. In
the government are found supporters of
Doth plans and the premier must find
means OF reconciling all views.
Further aid to returned soldiers and
the decennial revision of the bank act
are other items on the seasonal calen-
dar.
Government Lacks Majority.
Interest is added to the opening of the
session by the standing of the parties,
the government lacking an absolute ma
jority of members. The election of
Rodolphe Lemieux of Montreal as
speaker has left the government VITA
116 members, as against "a progress
sives, so conservatives, l independent
progressive and = independents total
of III. In order to carry on, the gov
ernment must draw support from pro-
greSsives and independents who agree
with the premier on tariff matters.
One woman takes her seat in the
Canadian parliament today, the first in
history. She is Miss Agnes MacPhail,
progressive of Ontario.