POLICY MISUNDERSTOOD

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 7 March 1935, Page 5

POLICY MISUNDERSTOOD

British Meat Proposals Not Acceptable to Commonwealth PURCHASES FROM ENGLAND DOMINION S PROPORTION (United Ftem Association—By deotrio Telegraph Copyright). Received noon to-day. CANBERRA, To-day. The Acting-Prime Minister, Dr. Earle Page, announced that the policy recently proposed by the British Government for the control of meat importations into the United Kingdom had been misundei'stood.

The British proposals did not, as the Commonwealth Government had believed, contemplate the maintenance of restrictions on importations of meat, but - contemplated a removal of all restrictions. This policy was not acceptable to the Commonwealth Government, and no agreement had, therefore, been reached. Prom Dr. Page’s statement it is now clear thafj beyond the proposed levy of a penny a pound on foreign and a halfpenny a pound on Empire meat, Australian exports will have no protection against foreign competition. The Dominions, broadly' speaking, are agricultural countries, but it cannot be expected that they should stand still and take all their requirements from old manufacturing countries,’’ said Mr S. M. Bruce, replying to a toast to the Dominions at the South London exhibition at Crystal Palace, at which x\ustralia and New Zealand are exhibiting, says a London cable. Lord Hailsham, in proposing the toast to the Dominions, said last year Britain’s imports from the Dominions were a bigger proportion of the total than ever. The Dominions filled the first five places as importers of Britain’s goods and the first three in‘consumption per capita, in which New Zealand leads.

“Despite the Dominions’ united front, Britain has almost reached Dominion status,’’ said the Dominions Secretary, Mr J. H. Thomas, amid laughter. “Nevertheless, we must remember that mutual trade is essential.

Sir James Parr pointed out that Australia and New Zealand absorbed more from Britain than any country in the w&rld. Britain’s exports during 1934 increased by £28,000,000, of which the Umpire took £22,000,000.