MEAT QUOTA?

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 183, 4 August 1932, Page 7

MEAT QUOTA?

OPINION FIRMING. Australian Negotiations With Britain Open. PINAL STAGES BEGIN. (United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Eeeeived 11 a.m.) OTTAWA, August 3. An official communique stated' that the final stages of the negotiations between Britain and Australia have begun. All members of both delegations' met. this morning for the purpose of working out the basis of agreement, which involves Britain disclosing her policy regarding butter, meat and fruit, and also involves Australia explicitly stating the utmost extent of the concessions she can offer.

An official spokesman pointed out that this .development was possible because the Australian negotiations were further advanced than those of the other Dominions. Thus Australia was first to reach the final stage of the conversations. Other Dominions will follow in the next few days! It is explained that this process does not necessarily mean that bilateral treaties may yet decide the general Empire trade agreements embodied in a multi-lateral treaty. Birthday Wishes to Mr. Baldwin. All delegations met Mr. Baldwin this morning, expressing birthday congratulations. Mr. Bennett, as chairman, officially tendered the. conference's felicitations, and Mr. Baldwin replied in a happy speech. The official detailed business discussions in which Australia was the first to figure, will have special significance seeing that Britain will necessarily be called upon to make a reply regarding butter, meat and fruit. Although the British plan to assist Australia cannot •be regarded as the fixed scheme for all other Dominions, nevertheless it will bo vital as an indication of Britain's general policy. The Argentine is eagerly awaiting the news. She still believes that Britain will refuse a meat quota while opinion is firming at Ottawa that a small quota is certain.

Mr. Bruce declined to indicate the nature of the conversations with the British, but it is learned that they were entirely friendly and helpful. Mr. Bruce is pleased at the progress made. The final decisions by Britain on these products are likely to be deferred until similar conversations have been held with the other Dominions interested in them —Canada, South Africa and New Zealand.

After the conversations with Mr. Bruce, a similar British conference was held with the Indian delegation. Australian and New Zealand meat experts have been in close consultation with the British and Canadian experts with satisfactory results. Until now the Canadians had not indicated their meat policy, but after friendly discussions, chiefly regarding bacon and live cattle, in which it was pointed out that Canada's best' course was to solidly support the Australian and New Zealand proposals, Canada has warmly agreed. Free Traders Converted. '', The discussions with the British delegates are particularly interesting, inasmuch as some who had hitherto inclined to see a-danger of departing from free trade principles have now been won over to the Dominions' viewpoint. These free trade experts have been converted to the idea that a small meat tariff would not be objectionable if applied in conjunction with a fairly substantial quota. They are grasping the quota scheme as a m*ans of salving their free trade consciences, convinced that the restriction will help both the British and Dominion producers without greatly increasing the prices- to the British consumer.

It is reported that agreement has been reached between the Canadian timber exporters and the United Kingdom importers, to be submitted to the advisory sections of the conference to-morrow. It is hoped the plan will give Canada a market of 1,000,000,000 feet in the United Kingdom, equivalent to 30 per cent of her imports.