“ MEAT BATTLE.”

Hokitika Guardian, 17 August 1932, Page 2

“ MEAT BATTLE.”

DISCUSSION AT OTTAWA. SETTLEMENT NOT YET REACHED. (United Press Association —By Electric ' ■ Telegraph—Copyright.) OTTAWA, August 15. ' “The meat .battle”, raged again to'day. Neither side gave way. Mr Bruce and Mr Coates with the British Ministers, this afternoon, for several hours, the. only break 'being a quarter of an hour’s walk across the' station to bid ''kfarewell to Eaarl Besshorough, departing en a tour of ' V • ■ The 1 Stern fight.? -Was resumed until '! it whs'-finally decided that both sides •> emitJxk>, :,r " -Asked’hhoV the second round in the was going, blunchttirae reply was: “Very well.” t>f,; The 'dfeciissidns are being resumed d tbis atfernocm. . : :v. :

-tMr' Bruce emphasised.<that T he must - insist on :a reasonably*fair-agreement. He pointed out, in i clearest- possible terms, he will not be forced .-into, ao. T'cdplance "of agreements unsatisfactory .to Australia. He disclosed it was unlikely that there -would-.be-any'diffi-

culty regarding Britain’s.- acceptance proposed Australian-New Zeaterms for’any other commodities. $$ Australia and New Zealand had ’■ ready indicated to the last detail 4 th.e maximum concession'# they were prepared to make. If meat "goes wrong”’ ■-phe whole thing will-Je into -.the meltinglpot, because, the whole .case of Dominions depends .upon what they consider a reasonable qf ■success', with meat. if The 'Official Spokesman, referring to ■/the negotiations between Britain and i the Dominions generally, said-that unfless mote, 'definite progress, iyas made, in the fnext two, days, there is a prospect cluttered up,” /if-/the plan, of closing/the .;coh- .; ference^on/Thursday is adhered -tip.* , The ' generalb impression is • that . there : are' only two main questions

which remain to be settled. The first is that of meat, which especially concerns Australia and New Zealand, and which may be adjusted in a mutually [satisfactory (fashion to-day. The second is the limitation of Russian dumping of lumber and wheat. On these matters Britain is delaying her; decision.

Assuming that Britain yields to Australia and New Zealand's determined stand for a quota on meat, Air" Bennett (Canadian Premier),'feels he may be placed in an unenviable and an isolated, position as the last contestant hampering a harmonious agreement. . > . ‘ ,

It 1 is hoped that , to-day discussions will bring the parties to the approachment allowing the Ottawa Conference to end on a holiday triumph. Mr •Amery, speaking at the Rotary luncheon, expressed disappointment at the Currency Report. He criticised the weakness and lack of definite purpose, and said that the question required bolder handling by the Empire Governments, which were making a big mistake;-"-if they thought the problem would be better solved at the World Conference. Meat was the key question at Ottawa so far as the farmers were concerned, and unless the Conference secured agreements on meat, would have reached a very limping, unsatisfactory conclusion. ■ V

RESULTS OF THE CONFERENCE. UNLIKELY TO BE ANNOUNCED. OTTAWA, August 15. o The spokesman said it wag unlikely •that the actual conference'results will be announced except in general terms which probably will not disclose details of the, tariff changes. Personally he considered the fullest disclosure would be harmful, because traders guessing the general line of the outcome of the conference had already made plans for buying and selling hoping profitably to forestall the announcement of the decisions, ft Although it is. a “big order,” , to expect, 1 the conference ' to complete the business by Thursday, he considered there was a fifty-fifty chance., In the

event of minor negotiations being outstanding, the appropriate British Ministers wil) remain behind. Mr Thomas sails for home on August 19. The moment he enters his cabin he will speak over the radiophone and open the International Wireless Exhibition at Olympia (London). The spokesman said there was a strong opinion among the Conference delegates that the new trade agreement should have a long term, with a minimum of five years. He indicated that the food taxes was still a difficult point in the pre>sent negotiations. 'Suggestions for limiting Russian dumping were still being discussed. There is another possibility being widely discussed in the lobbies, namely that the BritMi-Dominion negotiations may be left in an unfinished stage, involving further discussions in London after the conference. In that event, the conference will he regarded as a failure, inasmuch as the stage had been set for / the fullest business talk aiming at concrete agreements for united efforts to remove depression conditions. Five British members of the Cabinet are attending therfore the Dominions are loath to accept the excuse that the plans must be referred to the whole British (D-bi-net. Canada’s dissatisfaction wif Britain’s offer, the acuteness of the meat question as far as Australia and New Zealand are concerned, have given rise to this perhaps pessimistic view. There is time yet to resolve outstanding differences, and there if always the possibility of extending t 1 conference beyond Thursday. The Committee of Economic Co-op-eration aocepted the report of the subcommittee on grading, and stands rd r of agricultural products. The renort stated that there was no opportunity to give a detailed study of the subject owing to lack of time and absence of technical officers. It recommends the interchange of memoranda giving detailed description ,of grading standards operating in eabli Dominion, with the possibility, after /the Conference, of discussion of this subject by Dominion/ experts. Efforts ; should be made to standardise containers. A second eomanittlse, in addition to the Currency Committee, namely the' committee' of economic co-opera-tion, has completed its labours. The latter’s sub-committee recommended continuous development of wireless and Empire films. The report expressed gratification that since the 1926 Imperial Conference’s recommendations, substantial progress hag been made in the extension of British films,, due largely to improved quality. The report suggested that Empire countries should cbnsider 1 thle standardisation of censorship methods. British producers, should meantime study the censorship requirements of various. Dominions. The report recommended closer iiason between responsible bodies controlling wireless, assisting towards ensuing accessibility te> the anhafla Empire of radio pro= gramme* of .-general interest. It also considered ll the possiWities of mechanical reproduction.

ME BENNETT'S STATEMENT.

OTTAWA, August 16. Tlie Canadian Cabinet sat in the forenoon on Monday, and sat again from 2.30 p.m. till midnight. The premier, Mr Bennett later said: “I believe that our proposals will now accord with the .British delegation's desires-” •

Nevertheless there are grounds for doubt on -this point, because the British representatives have not indicated their intentions regarding trade with Russia; nor have they yet given a final decision on any other matter.

An additional preference on her lumber will be acceptable to Canada, but it will not be fully satisfactory.