BRITAIN’S TRADE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 5, 5 December 1931, Page 7

BRITAIN’S TRADE

RECENT ORDERS. EFFECT ON IMPORTS. MOTION DISCUSSED IN COMMONS

(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) Received December 5, 11-0 a.m. RUGBY, Dec. 4.

The House of Commons to-day discussed a motion approving of the recent orders by the Board of Trade under the Abnormal Importations Act imposing; a 50 per cent, ad valorem duty on various classes of imports. Major L. Hoare-Belisha said that the orders had been exceedingly effective and the imports of articles mentioned in the two orders had practically ceased. Answering criticism which came mainly from the Labour benches, Mr W. Runciman, President of the Board of Trade, pointed out that the policy excluding certain articles was dictated solely by the need for lessening the strain upon Britain’s purchasing capacity abroad, caused by importations far in excess of recent experience, and the orders were general and not directed against any country or countries. He denied that the policy was likely to lead to international friction, and reminded the House that the French decree imposing a 15 per cent, discriminatory duty preceded the announcement of action by the British Government. THE FRENCH DECREE. Dealing with the French decree, Mr Runciman said that it was against all exports from Britain to France and not rherely against coal. The British Government was amazed to find that Britain was not to receive the mostfavoured nation treatment which she had received from France for two generations, although there had been no treaty obligations. Referring to the increase in the tariffs which are shutting out British goods from former markets, Mr Runciman said that the British Government had made successive appeals against these barriers, but despite the findings of the World Economic Conference of 1927, endorsed by representaof over fifty countries, they found protests useless and were met always by the same reply—“that the internal interests of the country must be the first consideration of the Government.” That was the reply he made to-day. The method of persuasion had proved useless. Mr Runciman added :

“I wish it to be clearlv understood abroad, as well as at home, that if we are to be hit as we have recently been hit by the French decree we cannot ignore it. I hope we shall be able to- adjust our differences in a friendly way, but discrimination against this country is a thing which we look on with the greatest seriousness. Were it to spread it would be so damaging to British interests that we could not afford not to take notice of it.”

The motion was carried by 230 votes to 38.