BAD BARGAIN

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 4524, 24 February 1922, Page 2

BAD BARGAIN

AUSTRALIAN CONCENTRATES. £601,000 TO COVER LOSS. .By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.)’ (Aust. and N.Z. Cable Association.) London, Feb. 21. In a debate in the House of Commons on a Supplementary Estimate ol £601.200 to cover tiie estimated loss on concentrates and spelter purchased in Australia, tbe Secretary of the Board of Trade said that the zinc mining industry, though depressed, was not affected by the Australian contract. Several members were highly critical. Sir William Pearce suggested that the Government should cut its loss .Old hand over the whole business to the Australian producers. Air Cecil Lowther appealed for a subsidy to lead and zinc workers on the ground that they were thrown out of work by the flooding of the market with Australian minerals. Ho said that the Labour Party approved of the suggestion. Captain Elliott said the Government, was dumping concentrates in Britain at half the cost of production. Mr Stanley TlaMwn, replying, admitted the contract was a had one. TIIO Government’s policy, was to get out of it as soon as possible. The vote was carried by 176 to 79.