ter Aimed At Destruction Of British System Of Empire Preference

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 14713, 3 July 1948, Page 3

ter Aimed At Destruction Of British System Of Empire Preference

L And Trade Bill n a * fi _ (?o Pi, 8

inRFSS BY TAURANGA MEMBER IN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

(Special to. The Times) "The Leader of the Opposition has shewn us that while Li nrofesses to aim at increasing the volume of interf nl trade in reality it provides for the elimination ot f. preference the abolition of quantitative restriction, the Kr of Ne wZealand's fiscal sovereignty, co-operation Uht international Monetary Fund and the setting up of if national bureaucracy," said Mr F. W. Doidge (National I ira\ speaking in the House of Representatives on the kl Agreement on Tariffs and Trade Bill.

lauite clear, despite all the and escape clauses on • e know the Minister 01 and his colleagues are that the ultimate goal is •action, of the system ox eland that means an end Stish system of Empire e 3" said Mr Doidge. The tn p House was considering 'ade pact, the result of a J, and the United otate, i was a dominating figure deal. At Geneva "Uncle , ve a hard bargain, end it bargain that the House ito ratify. . f been said that no pressure L used on Britain, and. that Id been no duress applied It Britain at Geneva, but Ire the facts? At Geneva Sir 1 Crimps who at that time 1C British delegation, fought slv to maintain the system e preferences. He said there for the retention ot preferences, that, even if agreed to cutting her jy fifty per cent it still would Lnsate for the dismantling trial preferences. • Minister of Finance had said Ire had been no attempt to litaiti's hands. He had lead I Zealand delegation at land Havana, and he persisttting that the decisions infed in the document before fee were not inimical to 3mIf erenco. f beyond understanding wny Ester persists in those asserlaid Mr Doidge. "He knows [better—that in this agreee walls of Imperial preferi definitely breached. 're are escape clauses, it is ut the Minister will agree here are likewise penalty I If wc sign this agree'ancl refuse to obey instructor orders that will wme [the International Trade bation- which is the "big She 1.T.0., backed by other I can apply sanctions fus. That is written into arte,", ' TT Minister returned from Hafith high hopes that in the [city of escape clauses he ho spfe and while I admit fee clauses arc there, I would [him that the charter makes

it plain that these escape clauses are mostly temporary and do not invalidate the basic rules.

"By ratification, we are surrendering cur fiscal sovereignty. We on tins side of the House have no love for the Government's fiscal policy, but we dislike being asked to pass such wide powers as are provided for in this Bill for the setting up of an international bureaucracy. The National Party has a much better plan. We believe that the responsibility for altering tariffs should rest on the Government of the clay, advised by a tariff board. The establishment of such a tariff board has long been in the policy of the National Party, and we believe and hope that that v/ill be implemented by the end of next year." Dealing with Article XV, which covered exchange control, Mr Doidge said that if the article were read carefully "we will find the hidden hand of Bretton Woods." Quantitative restrictions were the concern of the International Trade Organisation, but exchange restrictions were the concern of the International Monetary Fund, and that, of course, was the creation of Bretton Woods.

•'What folly wc have been guilty of in this matter," concluded Mr Doidge. "We have been neglecting the substance of Empire trade and pursuing the shadow cf international trade. How much better if our representatives bad been attending an Empire conference. What we need at this moment is a revival of the spirit, of Empire—not an international charter but an Empire charter. "Wo would welcome practicable measures for increasing the volume of international trade, but we believe that that can best be done by following a realistic policy. We believe the development of trade within the Empire should be the first step towards the expansion of international trade." In the committee stages. .Mr Doidge moved the following amendment: "Nothing in this Act shall in any way restrict the Government of New Zealand from giving preferential tariff concessions to goods manufactured in the United Kingdom, or in other countries of the British Empire." The amendment was defeated by 39 votes to 35.