Articles 9 to 13 in the Ottawa Trade Agreement of 1932, the memorandum observes, have worked in practice fairly satisfactorily. They have been criticised, however, and the Ministers of the two Governments have been engaged for some time in a review of various matters arising from them.
It has proved impracticable to revise these Articles to satisfy the requirements of both countries, the memorandum goes on, so, with a view to the adoption of an alternative solution—a schedule of maximum rates of duty—the Australian Ministers have stated that the Commonwealth Government will investigate the possibilities.
Meanwhile, pending the decision of the Commonwealth Government, the present Agreement is to continue in force. However, in order to obviate certain past difficulties, the United Kingdom Ministers have agreed not to press their objection to the interpretation, which are now placed by the Australian Tariff Board upon Article 10,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.