BRITISH TRADE

Grey River Argus, 28 April 1932, Page 5

BRITISH TRADE

New Sugar Tariff ARE DOMINONS WORSE OFF? (Ans. * N.Z. Cable Assn). LONDON, April 26. Tn the House of Commons Mr Park inson moved to amend the Budget resolution regarding sugar; to extend preference to the Dominions as well as the Colonies. He said the proposed differentiation would not make the Empire a happy family. Mr Ormsby Gore sanff the reason the Dominions had not received the same preference as the Colonies wai that the Commons were directly re sponsible for the workers in the colonies, while Australia and South Africa had large protected home markets. Australia, in addition, had a subsidy. The Government was giving effect to the recommendations of the Labour .Committee on sugar growing colonies.

Sir S. Cripps: This is only a temporary expedient in the interest ot the. colonies. It would have been much better fo leave the whole matter to the Ottawa Conference. Labour would press for equal preference for the Dominions and colonies, in the best interest of the Empire as a whole. The amendment was defeated by 254 votes to 41.

Mr Amery said that the problem was being tackled the wrong wav round by remission of Ehnpire, instead of an increase of the foreign duty. It would have been better to put a farthing, even a halfpenny, per pound on foreign sugar, and given tho Dominions and Colonies adequate preference, paving the way for Ottawa, by creating a favourable sent’, ment throughout the Empire. The resolution was carried. “BUY BRITISH” CAMPAIGN. ITS EFFECT QUESTIONED LONDON, April 26. Major Eden, in answer to a ques tion, said that Britain’s 1931 contribution to the League of Nations, induct ing the International Labour organisation, was £127,908. Mr Mander asked whether other countries were carrying on propaganda similar to the ‘ ‘ Buy British ’ ’ campaign, and if Britain proposed to reconXmend the abandonment of all such campaigns, in the interest of the export trade. Mr Colville said that several European councriew were *conduetfing movements in the interest of theii ■ home products. The “Buy British' l ampaign organised by the Empire , Marketing Board had been completely successful. He saw no reason to a ban don the same.

Mr Mander: Won’t you try to break up this international suicide club?

Mr Colville: I shall continue to ask the people to buy goods from th- 1 Empire, and the peoples who are willing to buy largely from us. INFLATION OF CURRENCY. LONDON TRADERS’ PROPOSAL LONDON. April 26. a special committee of the London Chamber of Commerce reports in fav our of the expansion of currency re ativc to the increasing industrial am’ commercial activity, and expresses th-? H opinion that this should not find its> Irst ouflet as a base for financialredit, as distinct from industrial and I ommercial credit. It would great' .ssist if the same monetary system i were adopted by all nations, willing: to co-opcrate uniform currency, but nerely uniform practice” to enable fh urrency of each country to expand! and contract autdinatically, with the activity of business, and give the consumer the fullest purchasing power*. The advent of tariffs though advantageous to the home market will only accentuate the crisis on the Continent. In these days, it ought to b*» possible to find means for settling international obligations without car riage of bars of gold across the seas. The report concludes: This is a vi al issue to which circumstances durng the next few months will compel .ttention

Foreign Firms in Britain TO DODGE THE TARIFF (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 26. Questioned in the House of Commons regarding foreign firms who are opening factories In Britain as the

result of the new tariff policy, Mr Runciman (President ol the Board ot ’rade) said that fifty new undertakings had been set up during the last few months. The majority were in or near London. They were, for the most part, new businesses, but in a few in tanees they represented definite addtions to existing businesses.