TRADE RECIPROCITY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 159, 21 June 1935, Page 5

TRADE RECIPROCITY

BRITAIN AND DOMINIONS Hope for Meat Agreement MR THOMAS PROPOUNDS BASIS (By Telegraph-Press Assii.-L’opyrigUl.) (Received 21, 12.40 p.m.) LONDON, June 20. Referring to the meat situation tn the course of the Dominions debate in the House of Commons, the Bt. Hon, J. H. Thomas dealt at length with the various factors involved in the negotiations still proceeding, and he was not without hope that a satisfactory agreement would ultimately be reached. Mr. Thomas said that it was only fair that the House and the country should know the difficulties of the meat negotiations. Hirst there was the position of British agriculture. British farmers and agricultural labourers resented the importation of goods, wherever produced, when sold in the country of origin above the prices at which they were sold here. Notwithstanding Britain’s increase in population in the last 25 years, agricultural production had remained practically stationary. This could not be allowed to continue. As he had explained to the Dominion delegates, each Dominion had room for many millions more of population. Other factors complicated the situation. Britain could not impose a levy without the Dominions’ consent, and there was a system of restriction and embargo, which led to all manner of friction. Instead of the British Government having to find heavy subsidies, the policy they were aiming at was to strive to find an agreement enabling a tariff to be applied.

Ministerial cheers and cries of, “Three years too late.” Mr. Thomas continued that whatever polities were adopted three years ago the Government was entitled, if experience showed a better way, to face facts. It was on these lines that they were endeavouring to reach an agreement. It was useless the Dominions saying they must have free, unfettered entry to the British market,' with preference, unless they equally bore in mind that there was another part of the Ottawa agreement, called article ten, providing that, as far as possible, instead of prohibitive tariffs and meaningless preferences, British industry should have a fair chanee of entering Dominion markets on a competitive basis.

“I am pleased to announce that as far as it is possible to judge, there is every indication of an agreement under that head,” said Mr. Thomas. *

Mr. Thomas quoted figures indicating increased intra-Imperial trade since the Ottawa Conference, and claimed that these figures were a complete justification of the Ottawa policy. Its best justification was that, without exception, every Dominion that was a party to the Ottawa agreement could at the present moment show a Budget surplus and a certain tendency towards prosperity. AUSTRALIAN AGREEMENT For July-September Exports MELBOURNE, June 20. Dr. Earle Page, acting-Prime Minister, announced that a cable had been received from the Prime Minister, Mr. J. A. Lyons, announcing that an agreement had been reached whereby the whole of Australia’s production of export mutton, lamb and beef in the JulySeptember period could be shipped to the United Kingdom. This agreement was reached pending negotiation of a long-term agreement. Official estimates of Australian meat exports for the third quarter are as follows:—Mutton and lamb, 450,000 cwt.; chilled beef, 140,000 cwt.; frown beef and veal, 710,000 cwt. Dr. Page said that the agreement was most satisfactory and was also a triumph for Mr Lyons. NO N.Z. AGREEMENT By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, June 20. Questioned regarding the Australian meat agreement, the aeting-Minister of Finance, Hon. Adam Hamilton, at a late hour to-night, said that no advice had been received from the Ministers in London as to a similar agreement having been reached in respect of New Zealand meat exports.