QUOTAS AND TARIFFS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 126, 30 May 1935, Page 11

QUOTAS AND TARIFFS

BRITAIN’S NEW POLICY RECENT TRADE TALKS LONDON, April 16. The modificatic-n of Britain’s system of quotaa in favour of duties on imported Agricultural produce has been loreshadowed within the past four weeks by three British Ministers —Mr. Stanley Baldwin, Lord President of the Council; Mr. J. H. Thomas, Secretary for the Dominions; and Mr. Walter Elliot, Minister of Agriculture and author ol the quota policy. The Empire meat agreements are, of course, already under revision, and the present arrangements for the free import of Dominion dairy produce are to end in September- It appears almost certain that the inauguration of a full tariff policy, with preferences to Dominion produce, will be discussed in the near future. It may be raised at the Empire trade talks in which Dominion Premiers are to take part at the end of the Silver Jubilee celebrations next month, ahd also at the Imperial Conference next year. The first official indication of a I change of policy was made by Mr. Thomas in a speech at the Mansion House last month, when ho confessed “he had never believed that quotas were a good thing, either for Britain or for the Dominions, aud thought that a preferential tariff system would bring much more satisfactory results. •' Mr. Baldwin’s Prophecy A week later Mr. Baldwin, addressing the Incorporated Chamber of Com merce at Liverpool, said;—“l think, so far as 1 can see, that the tendency 1 of the Government will be to turn from quotas. We have had suine experience of quotas being used against ourselves, and 1 think the leeliug of business men is that they would much prefer a duty and have done with it“1 am quite convinced, that in foreign countries, and in our Dominions, opinion has turned iu that direc- ( lion, and 1 think it extremely likely 1 that in our future fiscal policy the tendency will be to get away from the quota system aud rely ou a system ol i uuties. •’ ’ Mr. Elliot’s remarks, made in a i speech to the Birmingham Unionist Association lour days ago, were not , openly critical of tae quota system, i though he freely confessed iiis oeliei 1 in the efficacy of a tariff policy. He ’ said:—“An earmarked tariff or a levy, j relatively small, given over to Hunic i producers, may enable them to cover i the home cost of production without ; raising prices to the consumer more than iractionaily, if at all. That i- s | the method we have foliG-wed with j wheat, and we think that it, also pro- • vides the best solution lor the uiffi- | culties of the beef producers, who are j one of the mainstays of our agricul-1 ture.” The substitution of duties for quotas ! on meat and dairy imports has been | urged within the past week by both j the Scottish Chamber of Agriculture j and the Central Landowners Association. The last-named body .suggests an Empire preferential .system, the funds thereby produced being applied to securing standard economic prices to home producers. Food-marking Orders I The misdescription oi’ retail products Ils again “in the news. I lie ncwlj loi i ied Retail I ratitng Standards Assu[ciation is at present engaged inestub[‘ishiug codes for the accurate marking of wares in the clothing, Grapery, china and glass, ano furniture trades, anj may possibly extend its- activities to tiie provision trade. The practice among Northern grocers of retailing cheap toreign butter, including Siberian, as “best Kiel butter’’ was brought before the notice of the Minister of Agriculture a few days ago by bir John Haslam, M.P. for Bolton and ex-president of the Grocers’ Federation. Sir John who was invited by Mr. Elliot to submit evidence of definite evasion of the marking order, has also written to Northern newspapers and Io the (ra*ie Press pointing out that the description

of butter which has been packed in barrels or “kiels” as “best Kiel butter ’’ is no longer a guarantee of quality. “It will surely be a reflection on the good sense of Northern house wives,” he says, “if. in the face of these revelations, they continue to neglect the butter which is offered them from the farm basket or the Empire box, merely because of some imaginary virtue in the barrel.” Remove the “Margarine Complex” That local authorities should celebrate Jubilee Year by providing inmates of public institutions with butter instead of margarine is urged by Mr Will Thorne, M.P., in a letter which has appeared in the Press. He refers to the example set bv the London County Council in this respect, ami expresses the hope that every other local authority will likewise “remove the ‘margarine complex* from its administration of public assistance.” The New Zealand Dairy Produce Board this week will conclude its sale* drive in Preston. Blackburn, Wigan, Burnley, Acqrington and Chorlcy. and early next month will open an extensive campaign in Liverpool.