IRELAND’S PLIGHT

Hokitika Guardian, 30 December 1932, Page 2

IRELAND’S PLIGHT

NEW BRITISH DUTIES

BLOW TO PRODUCE EXPORTS

FARMERS SUFFER HEAVILY

LDNDON, November 17,

New British dmies against certain Irish Free State produce came into force on Tuesday niglrt after the House of Commons hacl approved of them by 250 votes to 38. . Mr J. H. Thomas, Secretary for the Dominions, in moving the resolution of approval, deplored the necessity for the bfdpr, ‘ but justified the Government's action on the ground of the breach by the. Free State of a moral and legal obligation. Ho said that the yield of the duties during the 15 weeks to October 29 was £674,000, but during the laist four weeks the former average weekly receipts of £44,000 had increased to £74,000. The reason was that the Irish Free State Government, while denying liability for payment of land annuities, had given a bounty to their people on exports sent to this country. The £5,000,000 due from the Irish Free (State, was not likely to he recovered out of duties of the original amount, and the Government had deeded to raise the rates because they were determined that the British taxpayer should not have to bear the burden. The great mass of the Irish people were opposed to their Government’s repudiation of their obligations. BOUNTY SYSTEM PARALYSED. This blow to Irish Free State produce exports is expected to result in bed oemg sold in the Free iSuue at 4<l a jo., anti turkeys and bacon at 6d and <tu a I.A by the end of the year. Even spokesmen ol the Irish Government are ready to admit mat iVlr de Valera s system of bounties by which he was dying to keep the agricultural trade anve nad been paralysed at one stroke by the new duties. The tariff rates of 40 per cent, on all live cattle and 30 per cent, on butter, bacon and eggs make the 12$ per cent, bounty absolutely useless. About 80,000 cattle are ready and waiting to-day for export to Britain. To send these would entail a loss of from £4 to £6 a head. They will have to he sold at give-away prices in the Free State.

The immediate problem of the Free State cattle producer, says the .Dublin correspondent of the Times, is to get rid of his beasts. When the original duties were imposed by Great Britain in July Mr de Valera and other Ministers advised the farmers to withold their cattle from the market pending a settlement of the AngloIrish dispute, and counselled them strongly to refrain from panic selling.

DEPENDENT ON BRITAIN. Thousands of farmers believed that all the trouble would be over long ago, and, as they could afford to keep their beasts on grass until the beginning of tiie present month without undue loss, they held them back from the market. It is reckoned that about 100,000 first-class bullocks have accumulated in the Free State during the last few months, and these animals must be,,sold, now at any price, for otherwise they will deteriorate lyOne prominent cattle dealer said that even if the tariff were 50 per cent, the trade would have no option in the matter. The animals must be sent .across the Channel. If any money could be made by export to the Continent of Europe the Irish cattle dealers would have discovered a market long ago, but the hard fact is that they are entirely dependent on Great Britain, and, although the new tax means a levy of £6 on a £ls beast, they must pay. “CATTLE TRADE WILL CEASE.” If once the existing stock of cattle has been sold, however, 'the cattle trade will cease altogether, for no farmer in his senses will raise livestock to sell it at a heavy loss, especially as the situation a few months hence threatens to become worse—if, indeed, it could be worse. For the first time since the start of the dispute with the British Government the people of the Free State are beginning to count ith© cost. During the present week income-tax assessments are being delivered to the homes of the taxpayers, and the Land Commission is making strenuous efforts to collect 'the land annuities which fell due on June i. Ready money never wa,s scarcer, and the farmers are quite unable to pay their debts. They • are faced with a largely increased income-tax demand, all their necessaries, except food, have increased in price in consequence of the Free State tariffs, a.Vd their market has disappeared. Their position is really desperate, and they contemplate without any hope, the “measures” which Mr do Valera declares the Government “has been considering” to meet the new crisis. The only measures that will I'!', of any use to them are measures which will restore their market.