TARIFF PROBLEM

Grey River Argus, 8 December 1931, Page 5

TARIFF PROBLEM

BRITAIN’S NEED For Agreement With France (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn). (Received December 7 at 11 p.m.) LONDON December 7. Th© “Daily Herald’’ demands the immediate opening of negotiations with Franc c ,expressing the opinion that an Anglo-Frencjh commercial agreement is a prime need. “Herald” points out that oven the imperial Conference should not be allowed to stand in the way, as otherwise there would be six months of bitter conflict tariffs. It says that walls all over the world are getting higher and higher. BELGIAN DELEGATION. SEEKS UNDERSTANDING WITH BRITAIN. LONDON, December 7. M. Hymans, the Belgian Foreign Secretary, and MJ. Van Langenhave, th e Belgian Secretary-General of Foreign Affairs (who is an expert on tariffs), have arrived to see Sir Jclhn Simon (Foreign Minister), and Mr W. C. Runciman (President of the Board of Trade). It is understood that they i will review the present political and | economic plight of Europe, and may I discuss the -possibility of avoiding ' further British duties on Belgian product, in return for a continuanc e of Belgian liberal attitude towards British exports. Agricultural Policy QUOTA SYSTEM. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, December 5. Further discussion of the measures contemplated to meet the economic situation will commence the proceedings in the House of Commons next week. Before the House rises for tho Christmas recess on Friday, the Government wjill make a definite aniiciuncement of its agricultural policy, which, it is anticipated, 'will include the acceptance’ not only of th e principle of the quota for home-grown wheat, but the quota of wheat imported from the Dominion, and used I by British millers. This will leave the way clear foir discussions, regarding details with the Dominions, before the Imperlial Economic Conference at Ottawa in July. THE NEW TARIFFS. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, December 5. The Government has allocated time in flip House of for a debate on Wednesday, ojn the application of emergency duties under the Abnormal Importations Act, to im-

ports of iron, steel, and cotton goods, particularly eeftton, piece-goods. The tariff problem was referred to by Mr Neville Chamberlain (Chancellor of the Exchequer), at Newport, when, he' frankly welcomed the desire expressed by other countries for a friendly mutual discussion on tariffs, but no binding agreement- could be concluded until after the Ottawa Conference. Britain! must claim the right exercised by other countries to direct her fiscal pojicy according to her own interest. The recent French surtax on British exports was peculiarly damaging to the British coal industry, because it did not apply to sopn« of t'hc principal competitors, quoting their prices in depreciated sterling, and it came on top of the strict import rationing system. The British Government had made strong representations t'o< France, and he trusted that they would very shortly receive duo consideration. He saw no reason why the depreciation in the value of sterling should be substantial or prolonged, but a satisfactory settlement of reparations would do more than anything else to remove the nervousness now so widespread over the world.