“TAXATION DISASTROUS”

Taranaki Daily News, 14 October 1930, Page 7

“TAXATION DISASTROUS”

FOOD IMPORTS TO BRITAIN

MR. WILLIAM GRAHAM’S FEAR

“RAISE PRODUCTION COST”

‘TURMOIL OF" RETALIATION’

British Wireless. Rugby, Oct. 11. Empire trade was the subject of several speeches by Ministers and others last night. The President of the Board of Trade, Mr. William Graham, in a speech at Edinburgh said taxation on food stulls and raw materials would be disastrous for the British people as consumers and for important sections of their industry and commerce. It would immediately raise the cost of production, it would throw Great Britain into a turmoil-of tariff retaliation, thp futility of which in post-war conditions had. been abundantly demonstrated, and it would involve for millions of people, a reduction in real wages.

. In the Imperial Conference the Government would do everything in its power to secure an agreement with the Dominion representatives in various forms of commercial development, said Mr. Graham. In that sphere there was much of a most valuable and reciprocal character that could be undertaken without imposing tariffs on foodstuffs and raw materials imported into Great Britain. The best of Dominion opinion, he said, recognised that it was impossible to expect the United Kingdom to impose duties on its foodstuffs and raw materials. There was no formal meeting of the Imperial Conference or of its committees to-day and, as usual, the business will also be discontinued to-morrow. The Prime Minister, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, left for Chequers this morning after the funeral procession x the RlOl victims had passed through London. Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Scullin and Mr. MoGilligan are spending the week-end at Chequers, and other members of the Australian and Irish delegations will be guests there at a luncheon to-mor-row.