THE BITER BITTEN

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 264, 1 July 1932, Page 5

THE BITER BITTEN

(Press Assip

LANt3 ANNUITiES PROMPT ACTION BY BRlTAiN TO RECOVER FROM FREE STATE. LEYY ON IRISH IMPORTS.

— By Telegraph--epA^Tlght.)

(Received June 80, 7 p.m.) LONDON, Thursday. . Mr. Stanley Balctwih made an important ahhouncement In the Hquse of Conimoiis to-day regapding measures to recover moneys frbm the Free State annuities. These are heing paid fo holdersV as guaranteed by the British Government, htit in order td safeguard the British taxpayers, Gahinet has decided to infroduce inimediately a Bill to he passed all stages withbut delay. Cabinet on Monday, will decide the nature of a levy to he made, which may be in the form of import duties on certain classes of Irish goods, or a levy whereby one half of the 'purchase price of impdrts will he payahle to exeise, leaving the irish exporters to recover th-e . ainount from" the Free State Government. British Ministerialists expeet there will he a speedy dissolution of the Irish Parliament. Mr. de Valera hopes to make the Oath the issue of the election, hut now he will he fOreed to accept Ireland's opiniori on the question of annuities. Mr. Baldwin said that Great Britain bought £25,000,0.09 worth ofrproducts from the. Free State, which is 96 per cent. of the total experts.

It is unlikely that a definite procedure will be embodied in the Annuities Bill. Instead, the Treasury will be authorised to take . any steps it deems proper to recoup itself for loss of money due, the Treasury heing given power to withdraw the Dominions' prefOrenceS from thje Free State, or to remove the Free State imports from the free list. The Government may not imniediately put these powers into operatioh; but use the Act as a bargaining weapon to hring -the Free State to heel.