EMPIRE RECIPROCITY

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 134, 4 December 1930, Page 9

EMPIRE RECIPROCITY

NO OFFERS MADE

THE QUOTA INQUIRY

(British Official Wireless.) BUGBY, 2nd December. The present position regarding the development of reciprocal preference with the Dominions was reviewed by the Secretary for Dominion Affairs, Mr. J. H. Thomas, in answer to a series of questions in the House of Commons. He said that no offer relating to the sale of Canadian wheat in Britain on a basis of reciprocal preference had been macto since the findings of the Imperial Conference had been published. The next stage was an investigation which already had been initiated by the Government into methods whereby it could be accomplished. In the case of wheat, the obvious reciprocal agreement would be regarding coal. This ho endeavoured to effect 15 months ago. Coal, ho\vever, was also produced in Canada, who felt it necessary to put a tariff on soft coal. Regarding Australia Mr. Thomas recalled the speech at the Conference in which the Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. J. H. Scullin, said that Australia would be willing, as part of a definite policy of Imperial economic co-opera-tion, to consult with the representatives of British manufacturers as to the possibility of affording a greater degree of preference to certain goods, without sacrificing any important Australian iuterests, and of considering the representations for manufacturers for getting the full advantage of preferences. No exchange of views on the possibility of developing reciprocal preferences with New Zealand had taken place since the Conference closed. As to whether anything could be done to take advantage of the New Zealand Prime Minister's offer, he recalled that when the possibilities of the quota system were being examined it was arranged that inquiry would start with meat, which applied mainly to Canada and Australia, and it would then be to consider what particular quota was applicable in the case of butter and cheese in which Now Zealand was mainly interested.