AUSTRALIAN TARIFFS

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 May 1936, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN TARIFFS

JAP. WOOL RETALIATION

[BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN.—COPYRIGHT.]

LONDON, May 28

The “Financial Times’s" Tokio correspondent says: “It is understood that Japan’s Wool Industry Association has decided to reduce the annual takings of Australian wool by 250 bales, which is to be made up by buying in*’’ South Africa and in New Zealand and South America. Japan will hot participate in the Melbourne .lune wool auctions. She is sending her employees to South Africa and to South America to start buying in August. TOKIO, May 28. The economic federation, executive committee presided over by Baron Goh, passed a resolution that it would support the Government in retaliating against Australia.

REMAINING CALM

SYDNEY, May 2S

The report that Japan has decided to reduce her annua] takings of Australian wool to 250 bales, by buyingin South Afiica and New Zealand', is regarded as a drastic measure in wool circles in Sydney, but it is contended that wool buyers from other countries who operated in South Africa and New Zealand, will be thereby compelled to transfer some of their obligations to Australia, as the supplies in any quarter cannot auto-, matically be increased. It is also argued that, if Japan buys more extensively in South Africa and New Zealand, she will find it necessary to change from the class of fabrics which she now chiefly produces. Topmaking wools mainly will be affected by the Japanese decision to boycott Australian wool. The fact that the Japanese do not intend to attend the Melbourne June auctions is not regarded very seriously by the woolbuying brokers, who are discussing tlie whole question of trade with Japan early next month.

U.S.A. COM .lENT

NEW YORK, May 2S

The “New York Tiir?s.” in a leading article, says: The Australians seem to be imitating the Na:.i policy. They fire trying to secure a balance of trade with each country. This policy, if it spread internationally, would be nidi-e ruinops to Australia than to most countries. If Australia thinks that its direct trade with us is lopsidedly in our favour, it should recall that its direct trade with many other ccuntries is just as I psidedly in her favour.

TRADE WITH NEW ZEALAND

(Recd. May 29. 8 a.m.)

CANBERRA, May 28

Reciprocal trade wi h New Zealand was discussed by ihq Agricultural Cotinoil, to-day. Mr. Taylor, New Zealand Trade Commissioner, is pre; nring a full report on the deliberat ons for the Dominion Government.

Recalling the effort ; for lifting the New Zealand embarg > on Australian citrus fruits, Mr. Tho:by, Acting Minister of Commerce s; id that Australia’s fruit tnide with New Zealand had dropped from £182,904 in 1931/2 to £61.462, with only a slight increase in the following year. The Commonwealth had urged the lifting of the restrictions for a short, period each year, in respect to citrus, cherries, grapes, and passionfruit, and had guaranteed that no fruit would be exported unless accompanied by a certificate of the freedom from fruit fly. He added that although the quantities of New Zealand apples imported by Australia. since March 2, were not large, the mere fact.of permitting their admission to Australia was an indication of good faith, and would no doubt be appreciated by the New Zealand Government. Mr. Taylor, interviewed later, said that these conferences were rapidly paving the way to a better understanding among the producers of the Australian States, as well as with. New Zealand. Discussions on dairying would be of considerable interest to New Zealand, where the problems were parallel with Australia. Mr. Taylor was the speaker at a luncheon to the delegates, tendered by the Commonwealth Government. He said that the feeling towards Australia was more friendly in the Dominion than generally imagined. As a tourist officer, he was amazed at the number of New Zealand tourists continually pouring into Australia. Jhe majority were women who came to Sydney for a good holiday.