THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1950.
3
RUBBER EXPORT TAX DEBATED Secretary Of State Justifies Malayan Decision
Full Opportunity Given For Local Discussion
London, Nov. 22.
Mr James Griffiths, the Colonial Secretary, outlined in the House of Commons today steps which had been taken by the Government before the announcement of the new rubber tax made on November 4. The tax is due to come înto operation on January 1.
was
He was replying to questions from Mr N. Macpherson (National Liberal) and Mr Leonard D. Gammans (Conservative). Both of them want-
The Haircut Of The Bald
Los Angeles, Nov. 22. Bald-headed men wh10 have to pay $1,25 cents for a haircut have a champion In the city councilman, Mr Leo Larburton,
Larburton, owning much less than a full crop of hair, pledged "something will be done" to get "lower prices for our bald-headed men." He told the coun- cil: "The whole thing takes about tree minutes." It should not cost me more than 25 cents.”—United Press,
ed to know what consultations had taken place Purely For
beforehand with rubber growers, packers and shippers and estate workers.
Mr Griffiths said in reply: Mr Griffiths replied: "I think "Before the announcement
Reasons Of
of the Government and the people Convenience!
the new duty on November 4, 1 of Malaya are entitled a tentative scale was put for- crease their revenue from this ward at an informal meeting Increased prosperity, and they with representatives of the need the money badly because rubber industry on September of the present emergency. 9. A letter was sent on Sep- Mr Gammans then asked the Secretary if he was tember 12 to the United Plant-Colonial ing Association of Malaya, the aware of the grave risks of the Malayan Estate Owners Asso- smuggling of rubber to Siam ciation, the Malayan Planting and Indonesia as a result of the the Industry and Employment As- wide differential between sociation and the Chambers of internal and external value of Commerce. The letter was rubber which would. arise from published in the local press. the imposition of the new rub- her duty; and if he was satisfied an adequate service was that available to prevent it.
"An open invitation to sub- mit views was given in the Legislative Council, in which represented,
small owners are
on September 29. As a result, local representations from all sections of the rubber indus- try were received and con- sidered..
"Further consultations with the industry is now proceeding locally."
Mr Griffiths added that
_RISK__OF_SMUGGLING.
|
London, Nov. 22.
Mr Hector McNeil, British Secretary of State for Scotland, will fly to New York tomorrow
with the morning
Chinese to Lake Communist delegates Success.
the
In diplomatic quarters here it is believed that Mr McNeil, a former Minister of State at Foreign Office, has been especially briefed
to take full this opportunity advantage of to sound out the attitude of the Chinese delegation,
The plane in which they are -to-travel-is-understood to be a
for them to
Mr Griffiths; "There is some strato-cruiser, in which it is risk of smuggling of rubber to possible
move of the about and have drinks at the Thailand, but. In view limited scale of communications | bar.
it is not considered it could But officials in London said
tonight reach considerable proportions.
that Mr McNeil was "There is no immediate likell-travelling via New York to hood of the differentiation in Montreal, where he is to give communique had been publish- for smuggling rubber
duty providing any inducement a lecture, "purely for reasons
to In- of. convenience."Reuter. donesia," Mr Griffiths added that these representations were now. being considered.
ed:
WHAT JUSTIFICATION?
Mr Gammans then asked: "What then is the justification for the statement made at Kuala Lumpur by the rubber associa- tions that no real consultations took place before the price was fixed?"
Mr Gammans: "If the duty ts fixed at anything like the level now suggested, the difference in price between Malaya, Indonesia and Thailand will be enormous and smuggling will spring up on a very large scale."
Mr Griffiths: "The fact that there is a risk of smuggling is no conclusive reason against the new duty."
conferred by the; Customs pro- clamation of September 1945,
ratified which were
by the Legislative Council on February 24, 1948.
BRITAIN STRONGLY
PRESSING FOR
BUFFER ZONE PLAN
Washington, Nov. 22. Britain was still proposing to suggest to the United Nations Security Council the creation of a demilitarised buffer zone between Communist China and Korea, officials told Reuter today.
They said that a final decision on the plan, which had been discussed by British and American officials both in London and in Washington, would not be made until after the arrival of the Chinese Communist delegation now on its way to Lake
Success.
If the delegation took up a at- hostile and unco-operative titude towards the United Na- tions' peace efforts the proposal might never be submitted at all.
But both British and Ameri- can officials insisted that the plan had not become out-dated because of the advance of the United Nations forces towards border and Manchurian the that it was still under åctive study as stated by the Secretary of State, Mr Dean Acheson.
Britain and the United States had not yet reached final agree- proposal, these ment on the ofbials said.
This was because everything would depend on the attitude of the Chinese Communist dele- gation, which unpredictable.
was at present
The scheme's object was to give Communist China practical
assurance that the United' Na- tions forces had no intention of invading Communist China and to eliminate the possibility of incidents and border skirmishes between Chinese Communist forces in Manchuria and United Nations forces across the Yalu River frontier.
NO ILL INTENTIONS Neither the United States nor had the United Nations forces any intention of carrying the war into Manchuria either land or in the air, the officials added.
un
They said that the diplomatic discussion of this proposal with the Chinese Communist delega- tion need not affect the progress of the United Nations forces to the Yalu River, If agreement was reached on the proposal for a demilitarised border zone, the local United Nations forces could
ADVANCE NOTICE In this instance, in view of the importance of the new duty, the Government has given advance notice of its intention Sir Richard Acland (Labour) to raise the duty, but has not Mr. Griffiths: I hope I have said that some of the proceeds yet formally promulgated the proved to the House that thereof the rubber industry must be now rates in the Gazette. were ample consultations." available for special purposes
Mr James Harrison (Labour) in Malaya. asked: "May we take it that the Me Grimths replied that the
•
for Full opportunity. discussion, was being given, and it was passible that the ques- Colonial Secretary does not ac-procedure established by law tion might be, raised by mem-N.Y. Metal Market cept the idea that the imposition was for rates of export duty to bers in the Législative Council, of a tax was wrong and im-be fixed by press promulgation which is now in session.--- proper in the circumstances."
by the Executive, under powers Reuter.;
Princess Margaret on November 14 paid a special visit to Harefield Hospital at Northwood in Middlesex. HRH is shown above in the children's
mayward chatting with Hannah Shipperley. (Central Press):
New York, Nov, 22. Prices in the metal market here closed here today changed, with the following ex- 'ceptions:
un-
Tin, Grade A (99.80 percent or higher) New York, per lb. 144.
Lead, Common, New per lb. 17.-United Press.
York,
COPRA TRADING
New York, Nov. 22) Copra for nearby shipment was traded at $220 perston, CIF, the Pacific Coast. Dealings were. quiet.-United Press.
SHOWING
TO-DAY
withdraw 20 or 30 miles south of the Yalu River, leaving only the troops of the Republic of order and Korea to maintain prevent banditry in the area.- Router.
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