OTTAWA TARIFFS

Hokitika Guardian, 21 October 1932, Page 5

OTTAWA TARIFFS

BRITISH CRITICS DOUBTFUL OF ANY GAIN. (United Prese Association—By Electric Telegraph —Copy n ght.) LONDON, October 19. Major Atlee, resuming the debate in the House of Commons, on the Ottawa resolution, compained that Great Bri_ tain had subordinated herself to the Dominions, and condemned herself to the taxation of the people’s food, at the Dominions’ behest: The British Ministers had been bullied by the Dominion delegates, and' hade made a thoroughly bad bargain for’Great Bri_ tain. When Labour was returned, it would not be bound by the agreement, and would take its own line, irrespective of this attempt to fetter them in advance. Mi? Lambert said that the Ottawa agreements did nothing to'restrict Dominion competition with Home farmers, whome; position was lamentable. There was no greater disservice to the Empire than the sacrifice of British agriculture on the altar of Imperial sentiment.

Major Nathan said that though, as the result of Ottawa, more British goods might be sent to the Dominions, the quantity would be small in comparison with the Dominions* exports to. Britain, "" "

Mr T. Hore Belissa (National Liberal) said that- undejJ -the • -Ottawa agreement, in regard to meat, the Home producers would gain from a progessive diminution of foreign imports, and the purchasing pow.er of the colonies would be increased. They would turn to Britain for goods that they now bought largely from foreign manufacturers. The Ottawa Conference was an evidence that one quart er of the world’s inhabitants were prepared to. remove obstruction to mutual trade, thus showing their solidarity in a dis-united world. The debate was adjourned.

TARIFF CONVERSATIONS OPEN. \ ''* • , ; .-i. DENMARK, NORWAY AND ■ • SWEDEN. RUGBY, October 19. .Negotiations on the tariff matters with Denmark,; Norway and Sweden respectively, will begin in London at an early 'date. - Conversations on this subject are continuing with the Argentine Government. , Newspapers state that the agreements will be sought within the framework of the existing treaties and the maintenance of'the 1 fnost favoured nation treatment, quite compatible juvith the extension of the Imperial preferences, under the Ottawa agree_ menta. |The “Daily Telegraph” regards if) as “only natural that the British Government should inaugurate negotiations for tVstart with the Scan. 4inavina ' Governments’ since these jrm a part °f the sterling group, and manifest a keen desire to increase their imports from Britain,” 1 Negotiations, it is understood,' will in due course be initiated with other countres,' but as these have necessar- > j]y f 0 be negotiated separately, it is .physically impossible tp undertakp more than a limited number at the same timfel The proposals for tariff arrangements from the Uruguayan Government are receiving 'consideration. Close trading relation ’’ between Britain and Scandinavian countries have existed for centuries. The treaty with Denmark, drawn up in Latin dates from 1670, and is the oldest most favoured nation treaty in existence. The denunciation of existing treaties is'not contemplated, as modifications within tlie framework will suffice.

BRITISH TRADE WITH RUSSIA

RUGBY, October 20. Notification of the termination in six months of the Anglo-Soviet temorary commercial agreement, was given by the British Government, in . order to recover liberty in dealing with dumped goods from Russia, if after investigation, it was found that this was occurring in such a way as to frustrate the preferences contained in the Anglo-Canadian agreement. As the "note to Soviet Charge d’Affairs pointed out, Britain, however, was ready to negotiate a new trade ngree_ m ent with Russia, as with other couri tries.