IRISH FREE STATE

Evening Post, Issue 25, 30 January 1935, Page 9

IRISH FREE STATE

TBADE AGREEMENT

CATTLE FOR COAL

(From "Tht Post's" Representative) LONDON,, January 5. ' /Trade negotiations havo been going on for some time between tho British Government and tho Irsh Free State, and it is now announcod that an important agreoment has resulted between tho two countries.

Tho Free State has undertaken to purchase the whole of her imports of «oal from Great Britain.

In return," Britain has agreed to a plan for additional imports of Irish cattle into this country.

Tho negotiators on the British side ■woro Mr. J. H. Thomas, the Dominions Secretary, Mr. Runciman, tho President of tho Board of Trade, and Mr. Elliot, tho Minister of .Agriculture. The Irish side was handled by Mr. J. W. Dulanty, High Commissioner of the Irish Free State in London. As a result of tho agreement the British coal trade will gain increased business to tho extent of £1,000,000 a year. WELCOME BELIEF. Tho news will bo warmly welcomed by the coal industry of Scotland, Cum- " bcrland, Lancashire, aud South "Wales. These districts felt most severely the loss of Irish custom. Together they maintained a delivery of about 100,000 tons a month during 1933, but the first ten months of the past year total sales have been only 879,506 tons. This figure contrasts with former Bales of more than double that quantity—2,l33,l22 tons in 1929, 2,468,214 tons in 1930, and 2,424,699 tons in 1931. For" 1932 a special duty of 5s a ton ■was imposed on all coal delivered to Free State ports from Britain. Much of .the former market was capi tured by Poland and Germany, and, * as a result, British sales to the Free '„»' State showed a greater fall than those ;~ to any other country. ■*• Great undertakings like the Alliance «• and Dublin Gas . Company found it '* economic to revert to 'British coal in .? spite of the heavy duty. Household- * ers also have shown a preference for * British supplies to tho extent of payil ing 50s to 44s a ton, against Conti- ■' nental qualities at 36s or less. ~ * It is expected that Britain will take £ 150,000 head of catle from the Free * State in excess of the present quota S allocation. £ Tho position of British live-stock pro : i ducers will probably be safeguarded by £ a continuance for a time of the sub- * sidy, which is due to on' March ■■" 31.

Z MB. DE VALERA'S STATEMENT. "2 Mr. de Valera himself hinted at tho £ possibility of "further similar under- £ standings" in an interview in Dublin ™ yesterday, when ho was asked whether ™ the agreement was likoly to bo the, 2 forerunner of further conversations and v agreements. « "Tho present arrangement is comZ plete in itself," replied Mr. de Valera. Z "It is a business transaction based on ,£ tho mutual interest of the two coun- ~ tries. It is the' typo of understanding «*> which tho Irish« Government has always 2 indicated its willingness to make. Op- " portunitics for further similar under- * standings will no doubt present them--i, selves from time to time and will pro- * bably be availed of 'by both sides in * tho same spirit." '" ' In the present state of the beef marv« lect- English farmers can hardly be ex- * pected to welcome these increased im- .-. portations. ~.On ,a, long view, however, their fears'inay easily., be exaggerated. ', It must be^remombered that the agreement ,will ,prdvid'e -mdro , ejnjt'loyment ;'. here—and' the reabsorptiori of"several * thousand miners and other workers into » industry1 should increase the demand for I English btief"

MB. EXXIOT'S PLANS. Mr. Elliot's position in this transaction is> being discussed. 1 ' Mr.,Elliot has been fighting for months to get imports of beef restrictcdfrom the Dominions, and he has now suddenly agreed to allow this appreciable increase of Irish imports, which must upset his plans.and those of the British farmer to, same extent, and wiich. must also make an extension of the beef subsidy, a probability up, to now, a certainty. Mr. Elliot may have consented because Mr. Kunciman was too strong for himiand was determined to have the extra million tons of coal at all costs. It may also be that Mr. Elliot agreed because the British Government as a whole was glad to turn its beef plans upside down if by doing so it could make a contribution towards restoring decent relations between. the ' two 'countries.