OTTAWA AGREEMENTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 October 1932, Page 5

OTTAWA AGREEMENTS

AMENDMENT IN COMMONS. [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYBIGHT.] LONDON, October 24. In the Commons, Mi- Burgin informed Mr Lambert that under the Ottawa agreement, imports of foreign mutton and lamb for the calendar year 1933 would be 322,568 hundredweights less than the Ottawa standard year, .July to June, while in the first half of 1934 there would be a reduction of 382,328 cwt. The corresponding figures for foreign beef would be 72,040 and 57,972. Mr Rhys Davies moved an amend-

ment to delete the meat quota provision from the Ottawa agreements. He complained that it only dealt with Australia and New Zealand, left out South Africa, and failed to take into account British agriculture. Six’ H. Beto declared that the arrangements were quite inadequate to deal with the calamitous situation of the Home producer.

Mr Malcolm MacDonald said that

the provision made at Ottawa was agreed to by all the Dominion statesmen as the best means of raising unremunerative price levels for the benefit of Home and Dominions producers. Mx- Amery stated that the Ottawa schedule provided fox- such a small reduction in foreign imports that the quota was inadequate to deal with the present critical position of British agriculture. The whole of the Ottawa agreements were meaningless, unless backed by a monetary policy, stabilising sterling and permitting the prices of primary products to rise to a payable standard.

Sir H. Samuel protested that the Government would be empowered to effect any restrictions on foreign meat supplies, beyond those set out in the Ottawa agreements. This would seriously effect the attempts to make trade treaties with the Argentine, Brazil, and Uruguay.

The amendment was defeated by 285 votes to 68. Anothex- amendment to make the Government undertake that there should be no rise in retail prices was

rejected by 272 votes to 46. Another amendment by Labour, to omit the Ottawa duties on fresh frnit was negatived by 274 to 68. Mr Rhys Davies moved to exclude unwrought copper from the schedule on the ground it meant taxing raw material, but Mr N. Chamberlain resisted the amendment, explaining that the duty on foreign coppex- was intended to be prohibitive, as Empire producers should be able to supply all of Britain’s needs at the Wox'ld prices. The amendment was defeated by 246 to 55.

Amid cheers, the Chancellor then

introduced the Ottawa Agreements Bill, which Was read the first time.

IMPORTS OF BACON

LONDON, October 25. The Pigs and Pig Products Organation Commission, appointed under

the Agricultural Marketing Act, have proposed that from July 1, 1933, foreign imports of bacon be progressively restricted to enable, with the bacon and pigs produced in Britain, the supply to reach 10,670,000 hundredweights yearly, which is the average quantity marketed from 1925 to 1930. The Commission have also proposed to assure farmers of a basic price, varying with feed prices, and accompanied by measures to develop British pig breeding. The quotas will be reconsidered annually, any increases of the Dominions’ quotas being at the expense of foreign quotas.

MEAT GLUT FIGURES (Rec. October 26, 10 a.m.) LONDON, October 25. Authoritative trade opinion considers the meat position as the worst in history. Australian importers will consult to-morrow, and hope to confer with Mr. Bruce within forty-eight hours, with a view to pressing intervention by the British Government. Nevertheless, the suggestion for South American reduction comes at an unfortunate moment, because the carcases of mutton and lamb, at present afloat aggregate, Australian 725.000, (compared with 555.000 at this time last year), New Zealand 390,000 (compared with 275,000). Riverplate 115,000 (compared with 239,000). South America is already reducing the past quarter’s shipments by forty per cent. . Lamb prices at present are New Zealand 55d, compared with B}d in October last year, Australia 43d, compared with Bd.