OTTAWA AGREEMENT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 68, 22 March 1938, Page 7

OTTAWA AGREEMENT

REVISION CONFERENCE AUSTRALIAN DELEGATION THROUGH PASSENGERS BY AORANGI [ Per Pi cis AmoclmLiom. ] AUCKLAND, March 21. Four official members who will be attached to the Australian delegation to Britain to discuss a revision of the Ottawa Agreement were through passengers by the Aorangi from Sydney on route to Canada, viz., Mr E. Abbott, Comptroller-General of Customs, Canberra; Mr J. F. Murphy, Secretary of the Department of Commerce, New South Wales; Mr J. Carside and Mr H. R. Woodrow, officers of the Commonwealth Commerce and Customs Department. Three Federal Ministers who constitute the delegation are travelling by the Mediterranean route to England. They are: Sir Earl Page, Minister of Commerce; Mr R. G. Menzies, Attorney-General; Nir T. W. White, Minister of Trade and Customs. “The Ottawa Agreement, which has completed live and a-ha If years of operation, is continuing until its conditions are revised,” said Mr Abbott. He added that Ihe importance of the British market, to Australia was never greater than to-day, and Australia in recent years had been improving conditions for British imports by a downward revision of the tariff. Imports are at a high level,” said Mr Abbott, adding that the tariff reductions made had been widespread and consistent with the principle of maintaining adequate protection for Australian industries.