Evening star., 1932-07-31
Britain Aroused by
FOodstuffs Duties
BY A. G, GARDINER.

LONDON, July 30.-The proceedings
OF the Ottawa conference are being
watched here with growing concern, and
the striking defeat of the government
Conservative candidate by Laborite in
the Wednesday bye-election this week
Is warning to the British delegation
not to permit the conference to develop
INTO tarin ramp at the expense Of
the British consumer.
Popular feeling Is aggravated by the
effect OF the recent protection plunge
Of the government, the most immediate
result Of which Is q shortage of supply
and dearnesS In fruit and vegetables
owing to duties on foreign imports
which were the main source of the for
mer abundance. The poorest part of
the population Is hit hardest and the
newly developed canning industry has
suffered q shattering blow.
X
In the light Of this object lesson, the
country Is in no mood to tolerate more
plunder OF the consumer and the iSsu-
ance on Friday Of Stanley Baldwin's
firm warning to the dominions Is uni
versally approved, with the exception Of
the fanatical Beaverbrook press.
Clearly the time for plain speaking
has come II Baldwtns preliminary dec
D.
must be the aim of the conference-is
to be implemented. For the course Of
events indicates an attempt to form
dominion bloc TO put pressure on Brit
ain. II Is true that the demand for
wheat preference and quotas has been
abandoned, owing to the fact that
dominion producers realize the impor-
tance Of q free world market for their
wheat. But Britain Is asked to impose
high duties in favor of the dominions
on imported meat, dairy produce, poul-
try, eggs and everything except wheat
Even wheat Is not wholly excluded for
Britain is asked also to boycott Russian
products, mainly wheat and timber.
4
What stands on the other side of the
account?
The Canadian manufacturers are not
prepared to subject themselves to any
substantial increase of British competi-
ton, and the cotton negotiations have
failed, while the situation in regard to
wcolenS Is not promising. Some limited
concessions on steel and coal Seem prac-
ticable. but this Is all. In return the
British public is asked to adopt an ex-
tensive system Of preferences on vital
foodstuffS which, while increasing the
cost of living to the British consumer,
will embroil this country with the
United States, the Argentine, Denmark
and Scandinavia.
1T Is not good enough" says the New
Statesman, while the Week End Review
expresses the opinion that no basis ex-
lists for q large-scale deal. The British
will not have more taxes on food and
the dominions Will not admit competi-
tion with their own manufactures.
The chief issue at the moment Is tax
alton Of foreign meat. The dorninions
are unanimous in their demand, but
Baldwin and Walter Runciman are
firmly opposed, from the consumers
point of view in general and in particu-
lar from consideration of the Argentine,
in which British interests are enormous.
The dominionS suggest certain conceS-
sions, to the Argentine, but. as the
Manchester Guardian observes, If the
Argentine for this purpose is asSimilated
into the empire, how can the dominionS
benefit?
All press comment approves Baldwln's
emphatic reply to the loose talk about
England having done less for the
dominions than the dominions have
done for England. The remark OF for
mer Premier Stanley Bruce Of Australia
on the subject IL pdTtlCuldIly AcBlctIeu
in view of the fact that 80 per cent OF
dominion exports are admitted to Eng
land duty free against 80 per cent OF
foreign. while there Is practically no
free entry Of British goods into four Of
the principal doninions. with the result
that the balance Of trade between the
United Kingdom and the doninions is
$500, 900, 900 In favor Of the dominions.
The conservative press, like the Lon
don Daily Telegraph, no less than the
liberal, insist that, considering the IA
cilities offered dominion goods in the
British market and ths magnitude Of
British money invested in the empire
overeeas, Britain Is entitled to freer &C
cess to dominion markets and rea-
Sonable opportunity Of competing IN
Further inSistence IS laid
on the fact that Britain, with its dense
population. must have cheap food and
cannot sacrifice foreign trade. In short,
Il Ottawa Is to succeed IL must lower
tariffs, not raise them.
Copyright. 1881