INQUIRY COMING

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 64, 13 September 1945, Page 7

INQUIRY COMING

COSTS IN AUSTRALIA

CANBERRA, September 11. The full Cabinet has decided that the Tariff Board shall make inquiries into the factors responsible for the 'high costs or prices in Australia as compared with the costs or prices in other countries producing the same articles under comparable wage rates." The Prime Minister, Mr. Chifiey, said later that Cabinet had considered a resolution of the last annual conference of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of Australia which, while stressing the necessity of exporting Australian manufactured goods, asked that immediate steps should be taken by the Commonwealth Government to discover what factors (excluding wages) were responsible for the excessive Australian level pf costs in pre-war years.

to carry on. If there then remained differences, the Foreign Ministers would return for further talks.

Mr. Byrnes said that the agenda included the preparation of treaties for the Balkan States. The agenda had been prepared at Potsdam. The council would have to decide whether there would be discussions with the Italian Government on the Italian peace treaty —the first item on the agenda. The inland waterways of Europe figured on the list, and therefore it might be assumed that transport, food, and coal problems throughout Europe would be considered.

Asked about "being tough towards Japan," Mr. Byrnes said the situation in the Far East was very different from that in Europe. Surrender was proceeding in an orderly manner, but it would take until September 30 for some areas to be occupied.