OTTAWA RESULT

Taranaki Daily News, 27 October 1932, Page 5

OTTAWA RESULT

FOREIGN NEWriATIONS EFFECT TO LOWER TARIFFS PREFERENCE FOR IRELAND ANSWER TO. CRITICISM ‘INSINUATION DISCREDITED’ By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. iR&e. TO p.m. London, Oct. 26. . The Ottawa Agreements Bill, which ■fe being debated in the House of Commons, provides that the Irish Free State ehall continue to enjoy preference both under the old duties and the Inew Ottawa duties as long as the British special duties on Irish goods for th'e recovery .of annuity moneys remain in force. Lobbyists indicate that as no agreetaent was made with the Free State at Ottawa many believed there would be no preference for Irish goods after the <xpiry of the special import duties— November 15. The Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Mr. R. A. Eden) stated in the House of Commons that since the beginning of the year many countries had expressed a desire to enter into tariff negotiations with Britain. In each case ft was explained that until the Ottawa Conference ended the Government was not in a position to enter such negotiations. The countries included) Argentina, 'Belgium, Colombia, Costa Rica, -Denmark, Esthonia, Finland, France; Germany, Iceland, Lithuania, Netlher•lands, Norway, Peru, Poland, Santo Domingo, Sweden, Switzerland and Uruguay. Since the Ottawa Conference the Government had indicated its readiness to enter into negotiations ‘with Argentina, Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

: Questioned regarding negotiations with Franco and Germany on restrictions imposed. on imported British coal, the President of the Board of Trade (Mr. Walter Runciman) said representations made to the French Government were directed towards securing for the British coal export trade treatment not less favourable than that accorded other countries exporting coal to France. That object had beeh achieved. The German Government suggested the question should be discussed between the two Governments.

{Mr. Runciman said that since the early part of July fifty additional undertakings had "been set Up in Britain by or with the assistance of foreign concerns and had begun production.

• {Despite criticism there is general agreement that the Ottawa agreement enables the arrest of the tendency of economic nationalism to■w;*rds high tariffs'and. the .establish-, iment oi the opposite trend, says the .Times .in an editorial. “Ottawa is an illuminating accompaniment to the criticism Of English free traders, who endeavour to insinuate that the Do-< minions have no intention of maintaining good faith,” the paper continues. “The insinuation only discredits its makers.” > The eommonsense of Australia and New’ Zealand in accepting equitable reciprocity is eulogised by . the paper. I> ■ ■ ■ ■■■ ONUS ON TARIFF BOARD. future attitude or Britain. Rec. 10 p.m. Montreal, Oct. 25. “The future attitude in Britain toward the Ottawa trade agreement depends to a great etxtent on the operaion of the Canadian tariff board,” Lord Reading said here when en route to Ottawa to discuss this and allied subjects with the Prime Minister (Mr. R. B. Bennett). i.