TARIFF ON MEAT

Taranaki Daily News, 22 June 1935, Page 7

TARIFF ON MEAT

BRITAIN’S INTENTIONS

SOLUTION OF PROBLEMS

PREFERENCE FOR EMPIRE

MR. THOMAS’ STATEMENT

DIFFICULT NEGOTIATIONS

By Telegraph—Press Assn. —CopyrightRec. 5-5 p.m. London, June 20. An agreement that would enable a tariff to be applied with substantial preference to the Dominions was stated by Mr. J. H. Thomas, Dominions Secretary, to be the aim of the British Government, when he was dealing with the meat situation during the Dominions debate in the House of Commons to-day. Mr.,Thomas’ use of the word tariff was keenly discussed in the lobbies and members asked the Government to clear up the position. Consequently Lord Stanley, Under-Secretary for the Dominions, at the close of the debate said: “We intend to deal with this new meat situation by means of tariffs. We intend the ultimate solution to be one of tariffs, but an interim settlement is now the matter of negotiation.” Mr. J. H. Thomas dealt at length with the various factors involved in the meat situation.. Negotiations were still proceeding and he was not without hope that a satisfactory agreement would ultimately be reached, he said. It was fair that the House and the country should know the difficulties of the meat negotiations, said Mr. Thomas. First there was the position of British agriculture. British farmers and agricultural labourers resented the importation of goods, wherever they were produced, when sold in the country of origin at prices above which they were sold at in Britain.

Notwithstanding Britain’s increase, in population in the last 25 years, agricultural production 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 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 it was aiming at was; to strive to find an agreement enabling a tariff to be applied with substantial preference to the Dominions. (Ministerial cheers and cries of “Three years too late!”) Mr. Thomas continued that whatever policies were adopted three years ago, the Government was entitled, if experience showed a better way, to face the facts. It was on these lines that it was endeavouring to reach an agreement. It was useless the Dominions saying that they must have free and 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 10 providing that as far as possible instead of prohibitive tariffs and meaningless preferences British ’ndustry should have a fair chance of entering Dominion markets on a competitive basis. “I am pleased to announce that as far as is possible to judge there is every indication of an agreement under that head,” said Mr. Thomas.