PREFERENCE BY DOMINIONS

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 25 May 1932, Page 5

PREFERENCE BY DOMINIONS

SUGGESTED BRITISH VIEW REFUTED IN AUSTRALIA. BARGAINING DEPRECATED. FEDERAL FINANCE RECOVERY. United tiwooiat.ion —By Electrio TeVgmpd Copyright.' Received 9.45 a.m. to-day. CANBERRA, May 25. In the House of Representatives, “Mr S. M. Bruce, Assistant Treasurer, expressed. the hope that a recent Press cablegram setting out that unless the Dominions granted new and greatly increased preferences to British goods, Britain would not re-enact the 10 percent. general preference upon Australian goods, did not truly reflect the British viewpoint for Ottawa. If it did not it would he necessary to remind British representatives in no uncertain manner that Australia, for many years had been granting British goods very substantial preferences without any rcciproea 1 treatment. He -did not anticipate the question would bo approached in this spirit by the British representatives. The Australian Government certainly would not tolerate it. Reviewing the Commonwealth finances when discussing the Supply Bill, Mr Bruce said there was every prospect that the Government would end the year well within the Premiers’ plan. He anticipated the deficit would not exceed £1,500,000 after allowing for the relief provided by the war debts moratorium. A new tariff schedule introduced in the House of Representatives yesterday increases the excise duty on petrol distilled in Australia by l*d a gallon, which is estimated to produce £IOO,OOO a year. There is also a slight increase in the imposts on matches, cigarettes and wireless valves.