Australia and Ottawa.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20574, 16 June 1932, Page 8

Australia and Ottawa.

Mr Gullett, one of the Australian delegates to the Ottawa Conference, in a speech summarised in this morning's cable news, says enough to show that Australia's attitude at the Conference is not likely to be helpful. After speaking hopefully of the benefits likely to accrue to Australia's export trade, Mr Gullett surprisingly announces that his Government has no intention of altering existing tariffs. It will naturally be asked what Australia is going to offer in return for the preferences which Mr Gullett seems to expect from Great Britain. Some weeks ago Mr Bruce announced that if Great Britain really intended to take off her present preferences on Dominion goods unless the Dominions gave her a quid pro quo, she would have to be reminded " that "Australia for many years has been "granting British goods very substantial preferences without any re- " ciprocal treatment." If Mr Gullett uses this argument at Ottawa, and apparently he intends to, the danger of an undignified wrangle is very real. Mr Bruce's "substantial preferences" are preferences at a prohibitively high level, and unless the Australian Government is prepared to scale down her tariffs on at least some manufactured goods it would be well advised not to discuss the question of reciprocal preferences. An "attempt to get something for nothing will not succeed and may create an atmosphere which will hinder the whole work of the Conference.