TRADE AND TARIFFS

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 October 1932, Page 2

TRADE AND TARIFFS

MEAT IMPORTS. [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. COPYRIGHT.] LONDON, October 27. Mr Burgin, in the Commons, in reply to questions, said the maximum increase of ten per cent, contemplated under the Ottawa agreements in the case of frozen beef, would give an additional quantity of about 105,000 hundredweights to Australia in 1933, and forty thousand to New Zealand for the season ending 30/9/33. Limitation of the Dominions’ exports would not be applied in 1934. He did not think there would be any further limitation of Britain’s foreign meat imports beyond the figures stated in Ottawa agreements, nor would there, in any sense, be a departure from the spirit thereof. HIGHER STANDARDS NEEDED. LONDON. October 27. Britain’s international trade may double itself in 50 years, Dr. H. Levingsten told the Imperial College of Science. He quoted figures showing that if the world raised trade to British standards, the world’s commerce would be multiplied six-fold. If the trading capacity of the Asiatic equalled the African’s, the world’s trade would increase by 30 per cent. Russia’s efforts to increase her 'manufactures would ultimately benefit the world.

Dr. Levinstein added there was no over-production of food, *as the greater part of the population of the World was underfed. The fall in commodity prices was originally due to the shortage of gold. Britain could easily pay the war debt to America by mining -weaker ores, than private enterprise was prepared to mine.

SIR AV. LAYTON’S RESIGNATION,

RUGBY, October 26

Sir AValter Layton has written to the Prime Minister and has resigned from the Parliamentary Committee of th e World Economic Conference. Sir W. Layton x s letter explains that in a recent interview with Mr Neville Chamberlain (editor of the “Economist”) he found that some of the views of the Government and himself were so different that he could not fully represent it on the committee. He has found that the Government believed that, reasonable freedom of trade could be restored through international negotiations with foreign countries within the limits of the Ottawa agreements, and subject to a strict insistence on the “most favoured nation” rights. In Sir Walter Layton’s opinion, that would have little effect on the protectionist system of the world. What was wanted was that Britain, whose attitude would be almost a decisive factor, should press for plans on much bolder and' broader lines in co-operation with the lowtariff countries and those to whom the restoration of their foreign trade is all-important.

The Prime Minister wrote, regretting Sir Walter Layton’s resignation, but saying that he hoped for Sir W. Layton’s assistance, so that his known divergence of aims, so far from hindering the Government would really have helped them. He said Sir W. Layton had misinterpreted the Government s attitude. “The main difference between us,” said Mr MacDonald, “is our varying estimates of securing progiess on the lines you favour, which depends on the policy of other countries as well as our own.” He expressed the hope for Sir W. Layton's assistance, as the conference develops on any points on which he has well considered views.