OBSTRUCTIVE TARIFFS

Northern Advocate, 23 May 1928, Page 5

OBSTRUCTIVE TARIFFS

REDUCTION DEEMED URGENT COLLECTIVE PACT ADVISED. RELATION TO ECONOMIC LITE. (Australian Press Association.) (Received 9.30 a.m.) GENEVA, May 22. It is understood that the Tariff’s Committee suggests that continuous effort should be made to reach a collective agreement for a general reduction of tariffs, commencing with particular groups of commodities, especially articles most important, to economic life.

The agreement should cover as man} stages of production as possible, hav ing regard to the fact that if the re duetions are limited to duties on ran material or semi-finished articles these reductions will increase protection for these produets in the later stages of manufacture.

EUROPE’S RECOVERY,

UNITED STATES STANDS STILL,

(Times Cable.) (Received 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, May 22,

The Geneva, correspondent of the " Times,” reviewing Europe’s economic recovery says: "The report of the League’s Economic Committee points out that Europe’s improvement in production in 1927 was the best since the war, whereas the United States was at a standstill. Similarly, Europe’s trade advanced more than America’s.

"The comparative stability of tariffs and exchanges is largely responsible for this, but it is not sufficient that Europe, ten years after the war, should at last have recovered her pre-war standard.

"The committee expresses the opinion that the conference’s influence has substantially checked the upward trend oi the tariff, which was in full swing m May, 1927. "The leading feature of the year has been increased trading, between the nations of Europe, compared with Europe’s trading with oversea countries, especially the United States.

"In view of the low volume of world trade, an effort should be made to reach a general agreement for reduction of tariffs.”