Anglo-Irish Agreement The limited trade agreement arrived at between this
country and the Irish Free State is important for two reasons. It will lead to a substantial increase in trade ; and its conclusion is a first step along the path of practical negotiation. The Free State agrees to allot the whole of its quota of imported coal to Great Britain, an arrange- ment which will increase British exports by about 1,250,000 tons a year and give employment to 5,000 miners, Great Britain in return engages to increase the quota of cattle imported from the Free State, a con- cession which will involve the purchase of about 150,000 animals. It might seem on the face of it that the simplest plan would be to abolish the duties on each side in respect of additional imports, these cancelling out so far as revenue is concerned ; if that were done the Irish farmers, who do in part pay the British duty in so far as it is not met by the bounty on exports, would clearly benefit. Such an arrangement has presumably been ruled out on the ground that the default in annuities is not at present frilly met by the special duties.
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