OTTAWA MEETING

Hokitika Guardian, 29 July 1932, Page 5

OTTAWA MEETING

SUGAR QUESTION

TO BE DISCUSSED SHORTLY.

(United press Association—By Electric ■ r 4 Telegraph—Copyright.)

, ■ ‘ \ -‘ OTTAWA, Ju’y 23. : , The sugar question shortly be discussed. There is a, unanimous .fojing among Empire producers, ~f h pth Dominion and Colonial, that, ; the . diffeflantiatibh whereby the dqiopjal sugar • how receives 20s pur toil, mere than that. of the Dominions in the British market should lb© abolishjd, giving equality. West Indies, Mauritius, and Fiji agree that the present agreement is • unsatisfactory. An stra i a an d South Africa are the-only Dominions concerned. -

i MEAT PRODUCING DOMINIONS

BELOW ARGENTINE STANDARD

LONDON, July 28.

The “Daily iTefegraph’s” agriculture editor' expresses the. opinion that it wiH be five years or ten years before all of the meat producing Dominions are able to 92nd. to Britain, meat Of the same quality fla the Argentine Meat. -

A" He - says j— '‘‘The foundation stocks - of must, of tho/Dominions are o4iijy of moderate quatityA Tli'ey could;' have strengthened their; herds with first class breeding stock ■ which, for a- year has ' - been selling in Britain *at ordinary commercial' prides, btft these opportunities were neglected. . DOMINIONS’ MEAT PROPOSAL. j OTTAWA, July 27. ,v; The Dominion delegation leaders ; with Mr Bruce spokesman, mit Mr f. Chamberlain, Mr Runc-iman and Sir J. Gilmeur and presented the Domic-' ions’ meat proposals. Inasmuch as the plan is the considered and unanimous Dominions’ scheme . the • delegations are convinced that Britain will ultimately give some concession. ■' ■ STATEMENT BY MR,BALDWIN. ON RECIPROCAL PREFERENCES. ", (Received th’s day at 9.30 a..m.) OTTAWA,'JuIy 28. Mr Baldwin has issued an important statement at the Conference, defining Britain’s attitude toward reciprocal preferences. He said‘‘The .British delegation has no intention of weighing meticulously tile benefits given or received,' but is, anxious that the outside world' stall realise that the spirit bHUttatiilg iis all has been constantly and consistently displayed iil.oUr act* ttal dealings with tlie Dominion*” “Any suggestion that Britain taa been backward in developing and as* listing Dominion trade, or not fully reciprocating Dominion concessions inthe letter and spirit, is wholly unwar. ranted. The British delegation appreciating fully the advantages received in Empire markets, has entered the Conference with the intention of making a full contribution to the still further extension of Empire trade. We have stated frankly and fully to the Dominions, the articles; on which we desire further advantages in Dominion markets. We will welcome equally a full statement of corresponding advantages that the Dominions seek in Britain’s market. “The British delegation will examine these statements as 'they are received, with an unprejudiced mind and an earnest desire to give effect to the Dominions’ wishes. We are convinced our own views will in turn he given an equally favourable consideration.’’ Mr Baldwin quoted tables detailing Britain’s imports from, and exports to, the Dominions, stating that the figures revealed that th e wsible trad* bsianre in favour of the'Dominions was nearly £100,000,000. Further' figures showed that the Dominions' imports from countries amounted to nearly (£350,000,000. < •; Baldwin’s memorandum is interpreted a 8 Britain’s' intimation to the Dominions that the at the Conference must not b 6 all on their Bide. The publication of such views instead of merely enunciating them in privacy of the. Conference is regarded as a mild indication to the Dominions that the British, delegates ar e slight.y piqued at the force fulness of the Dominions’ ' demands coming like an encircling attack.

QUESTION OF BACON IMPORTS

now an Important topic,

' ' OTTAWA, July '2B. The unannhouis Empire /meat proposals, presented by the British delegation, are exactly ais cabled from Suva on. July let - , with the iudtnsion of bacon on the same terms as pork. Bacon has become an important topic of discussion among til's Dominion delegates at Ottawa because, while the Dominions are not greatly intei■ested in this product, titer support of the tariff q)lus quota for bacon woub benefit the nig growers in Britain, ninety per cent, of whose bacon imports* come from foreign countries. It •j<i now ‘established that British farming interests are sol ally ranged in support of the Dominions’ case. ' New Zealand has put forward a strong case fir assistance to her mutton and lamb. There is talk in Brit-'i dries here that, the mfcat situation b SO - difficult, owing to British investments in the Argentine, that a dec id on jnjny. he deferred at Ottawa,, and the

whole matte- referred to the British Cabinet in London. Novorthcde-n, tlilp Dominions vnw the pros; vet hop fully, and still feel that they can offer such substantial ooneiassians as to induce Britain; to grant some consideration. The Dominions are prepared F modify the preference scale proposed i? accordance with the <st ength or weakness of any quantitive restriction? which Britain may agree to impose on foreign meat imports.