POSTPONED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 194, 17 August 1932, Page 7

POSTPONED.

HOMEWARD TRIP. BRITISH DELEGATES. Difficulties Require Longer Negotiation. WHEAT AND MEAT QUOTA. (United P.A.-Electric Telegraph-Copyright) (Received 12 noon.) OTTAWA, August 10. The announcement of the postponement of Thursday's plenary session, with the official explanation that certain difficulties will require another 48 hours, is interpreted as indicating that Canada, Australia and New Zealand will not shift their ground. Russian dumping is Canada's main problem, the meat quota being the chief concern of Australia and New Zealand. There was an' atmosphere of relief this afternoon among the Australian and New Zealand delegates contrasting with yesterday's gloom. Although the position has not altered, Britain not having hinted that she is prepared to surrender to the quota idea, the fact that there is a longer breathing space raises the hopes of a mutually satisfactory adjustment.

The postponement, further, is regarded as indicating that Britain does not wish to appear as stampeding the conference with the ultimatum, "We must finish on Thursday and go homeward." The official spokesman emphasised that there have not been any ultimatums throughout the proceedings. As a commentary of the brevity of the official communiques throughout, an English correspondent announced, amid laughter, that he had received a cable from his newspaper inquiring: Can you produce any evidence that the conference is being held? Another asked what would happen if no agreement was reached on Saturday. The spokesman replied: Wait and see. There was an atmosphere of growing tension and expectancy when, according to the British official prediction, to-day was to be the conference's last working session, allowing to-morrow for the busy compilation of reports and also for the preparation of the delegates' statements at Thursday's plenary sitting. The British and Canadians again spent the whole morning endeavouring to thresh out their difficulties. The Australians and New Zealanders resumed the meat problem. The present position regarding the principal commodities is as follows: — Position of Negotiations. Meat: Australia and New Zealand are urging quantitative restrictions on Argentine beef and also a duty. Britain may yield a small quota, and the bargain may involve scrapping the duty proposals. Wheat: A pteference of 2/ per quarter is probable. The Australian view is that any preference is not of great value, though it would help the Canadian farmers slightly.

Fruit: A preference, plus a six months' closed season on the London market against foreign fruit will probably be granted. Dairy Products: It is anticipated that there will be no British objection to the. proposed duties plus quantitative restrictions of foreign butter. Lumber: It is expected that Britain will increase the preference on lumber to 10 or 20 per cent, but Canada is demanding in addition restriction upon Russia. The quota is likewise urged by Canada and Australia as the best method of dealing with the wheat situation. Britain is at present reluctant to consent. Complexity of Problem. The following outline of the commodities for which the Dominions wish better treatment .from Ziritain in return for the acceptance of larger quantities of her manufactures, shows the complexity of the problem in addition to the negotiations with Australia, New Zealand and Canada. South Africa: Fruit, particularly citrus, also dried and canned fruit, wines, tobacco, and later chilled meat. Rhodesia: Metals and tobacco. India; An arrangement for mutual interchange of steel products and cotton goods which both manufacture. Newfoundland: Wood pulp, paper and fish, particularly cod and herring. The Irish Free State is making no overtures at Ottawa for solution of the trade problem. The New York "Evening Post" says: "It would appear that the high hopes engendered by the opening sessions of the conference are unlikely to be fully realised. The obstacles to full accord between the Dominions on the one hand and Britain on the other hand have proved too formidable to be swept aside in one grand gesture of good will. On questions other than those centring on tariffs and tracle preferences the work of the conference is proving even less productive. Its currency report in effect hands the whole problem of the gold standard over to the World Economic Conference, but this is not surprising. The conference's action was clearly foreseen. Not even the British Commonwealth of Nations can reach a decision in such matters independently of the attitude of the rest of the world."