PROCEDURE LIKELY

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 1, 1 July 1932, Page 7

PROCEDURE LIKELY

TO SAFEGUARD TAXPAYER

IMPOST ON IRISH IMPORTS

LOICDON, 30th June. Moneys due from the Irish Free State for laud annuities are being paid to stockholders as guaranteed by tho British Government, but in. order to safeguard British taxpayers, Cabinet has decided to introduce immediately a Bill to be passed through all stages without delay. Cabiuet will decide on Monday the nature of the levy to be made. This may be either in the form of import duties on certain classes.of Irish goods or a levy by means of which half the purchaso price of imports will be payable to excise, leaving the Irish exporter to recover the amount from the Free State Government. British Ministerialists expect that there will be a speedy dissolution of the Irish Parliament. Mr. do Valera hoped to make the Oath tho main issue at the election, but now he will be forced to test Irish opinion on the question of annuities. ..^iS 1 in the past, year bought £23,000,000 worth of food products from the Free State, which was 96 per cent, of her total exports. It is unlikely that definite procedure will be embodied in the Annuities Bill Instead tho Treasury will bo authorised to take any steps it deems proper to recoup itself for the loss of money due, the Treasury being given power to withdraw Dominion preferences from the Free State or to remove Free btato imports from the existing free i- I , The Govcn™ent may not immediately put these powers into operation but may use the Act as a bargaining weapon to bring the Free State to heel