THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20087, 17 November 1930, Page 11

THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

FINAL SESSION HELD. CORDIAL FAREWELL SPEECHES. ADDRESS TO THE KING. ■ BRi'iiSß oiticial wireless.) IU7GBY, November 14. The Jmnerial Conference ended today at a plenary sitting at which tho chief delegates were present. An Address to the King, expressing the devotion and rffection of the peoples throughout the Commonwealth, was unanimously adopted.

A reply was received from his Majesty expressing pleasure at having met his Ministers from overseas and wishing them a safe and happy return home. Warmth of Welcome. .1 resolution was also adopted oxpressing the conviction that the detailed study of serious subjects in Committee had been of great value, particularly in affording n close personal contact between those fngagod in similar work in various parts of the Commonwealth. A further comprehensive resolution expressed tho thanks of the delegates to Mr Mac Donald for presiding, and for the warmth ot' the welcome extended them in JSngland and expressing tho hope that, although tho Conference met at a time of great stress and difficulty, the work accomplished "may prove of lasting value to the -whole Commonwealth." A Conference in Canada. Closing speeches were mado by all the chief delegates, and the draft report of the Conference adopted. All the speeches were marked by the utmost cordiality and goodwill, and although the full hopes of some delegations had not been realised, there was a general agreement that the Conference had been successful, and high hopes are based on the outcome of the suggested Economic Conference at Ottawa, to which the Canadian Prime Minister, Mr Bennett, extended a warm welcome. He reiterated his tariff preference offer, which was still open, and, having expressed the belief that it would be accepted at Ottawa,- he promised on behalf of Canada to consider carefully tho wheat quota system. The New Zealand Prime Minister, Mr Forbes, in expressing general appreciation of Mr Mac-Donald's conduct of the Conference, stated that New Zealand mado no complaint that the United Kingdom Government felt unable to depart from its fiscal policy. New Zealand was fully determined, however, to continue to Increase, whero possible, itß preference to British goods. Sincerity of Recoptlon.

Goneral Hertzog's speech also recognised the X'nited Kingdom Government's position regarding tariff preferences, and the Irißh flee State delegate, Mr McGilligan, expressed appreciation of the sincerity with which all the delegations had been received. The Newfoundland delegate, Sir Kichard Squires, referred to the circumstances of unusual world difficulty that confronted the Conference, which, however, had laid the foundation for important Imperial development. In his opinion the Conferences should be held at more frequent intervals. Mr Mac Donald briefly replied. The Conference ended in a cordial atmosphere and assurances helpful to all parties. The speeches were mainly of a felicitous nature, Mr J. H. Scullin emphasising that the intricacies of the economic issues required a longer time than had been available. He plumped outright for the adoption of the wheat quota. Mr Forbes, though disappointed that there had btan no development of preference, said New Zealand had no quarrel in that connexion. He believed the ground had been prepared for future developments. CONFERENCE WORK SUMMARISED. SPEECH BY MR THOMAS. (Received November 16th, 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, November 15. After the Prime Minister, Mr Ramsay Mac Donald, had looked in at a gathering of-100 journalists to say "Thank you" for their friendly and discreet handling of the Imperial Conference publicity, Mr J. H. Thomas, Secretary of State for the Dominions, summarised the work of the Conference, which he said was faced with difficulties In giving legislative effect to the declaration of 1926 regarding equality of status. He emphasised the danger Of trying to write a Constitution, and expressed the opinion that they had overcome the problems in tho statutory enactment which wuld be shortly submitted to Parliament to give effect to the Conference's decisions.

Mr Thomas praised the voluntary agreement upon the Empire Tribunal to deal with inter-Dominion disputes, and expressed the opinion that 1930 had' brought a tremendous step forward in the remarkable development of co-equal partnership. Dealing with the economic issues, he mentioned the first clash of opinion, when th: Dominions pressed for tariff preferences as the best fillip to interEmpire trade. T}ie United Kingdom replied to this stating that mutual advantages were to be obtained by other means. For the first time the Labour Party, through the Government, declared that preferences had been of mutual advantage to all parts of the Empire, and, to meet the Dominions' anxiety and uncertainty over existing preferences, he declared that they would remain in force for a further three years, unless altered by mutual agreement at a further Conference. Some of the Dominions immediately responded by undertaking to do the same. Mr Thomas' mentioned the wider basing of the Economic Committee to carrv out a continuous examination of Empire x '-"-]e problems. He also indicated thai, the Dominions would be invited to contribute to the cost of the wider activities of the Marketing Board, at the same time pushing the sale of British goods in their countries.

Views of Delegates. • •if"* said in an interview: 1 be for us to determine, as we SC u 16 " Jsi '" ;s Of the Conference, " e t let Uio extent of our willingness I co ~°P era '-a will bo as I expressed wTmt ye wekl°M le '<IhCtl1 hCtll iC, r \ fc wiU bC i SOni °" hni„., p<| - Much may happen h?,™ + " OW and Ottawa. If we then , ° Vl evv those matters in a manKhnil"° lnew n '°°f and detached, we rli»,.'+' leVer ,'. p '.° ss > '°°k to see whether . r 10 will reconcile many ?' H T S - which, in this climate, r irreconcilable." ' ,„i! a ITfrtzog said: "1 would j {' fP 1 * r "° insincere to pretend that r" e . \onterojve has borne the fruit v.e • no the other Dominions iiad hoped, fluff . m " V co^ea R , i«? 3 came knowing f i<-ii W i° n V ,sl sep ou r expectations unuliillod, therefore wo are not greatlv disappointed." Newspaper Comment. S!l i"s the failure ol the imperial Conference to achieve any concrete result was primarily due to tlifi tad that the Government drifted into it without any clear policy, and without a "3thing 1 iUo tho preparation which was needed. ■ '.'J'. "Daily Express" says: "The humiliation of this wasted Conference is the last victory of the free importers. It i<( only a matter of months when the country will sweep them nM nu an -~ , -' r '' , nd contempt." ihe News-Chronicie '' says there was never the faintest chance that the government would acquiesce in the principle of taxing fond or raw materials, and thus commit, the nation to a disastrous fiscal revolution. MR FORBES STATES HIS VIEWS. TRADE WITHIN EMPIRE LKGED. I/ONUON, November t-3.

Tiie lit. Hon. G. W. Forbes, in an interview, »aid that good would undoubtedly como out of the Imperial Conferonce, if only for the frank exchange of opinions awl personal contacts. "New Zealand lias been chiefly concerned with the economic side of the conference," he said. "Our ties with the Motherland do not require strengthening or safeguarding, but we would have liked to come closer regarding mutual trade.. "Great Britain should bo our chief market: instead, we see it lying open to countries wherein tho standard of living is much below New Zealand's. For instance, Russia is devoting herself to the exploitation of the British market, and our share of the market is jeopardised. We would have liked a practical safegurad reassuring us for the future. We are striving; to increase our purchases from Great Britain, but we find foreigners largely reaping the harvest and reducing the amount of money we can spend on British manufactures. "Nevertheless, we have not lost heart, and shall continue to do our best, depending on the outstanding quality of our goods and hoping that sentimental preference for Kmpiro goods will strengthen and increase. Our production is rapidly increasing, and wo feci It is equally important to Groat Britain and ourselves that our future market whould continue liere. "The Empire has the resources to overcome tho present economic difficulties and depressions if it shows the same unity as it showed in the war. "At the same time, I recognise Great Britain's right to decide her own policy and do not complain that the British Government found it impossible to depart from free trade. It will not cause a difference in our policy to Great Brtain. Wo shall maintain and

strengthen the existing sentiment, and do our utmost in favour of 'buying British.' T feel sure this represents the sentimrntH of the whole of New Zealand." THE OFFICIAL REPORT. NOTHING FURTHER REVEALED. LONDON, November 14. A summary of the proceedings, in several thousand words, embodying the entire work of the Conference, was issued this morning. It shows that the following meetings occurred: Three Plenary sessions; twenty-eight of heads of delegations, 163 of committees and sub-committees. Nothing is revealed beyond what was already known, tho report merely conBrining that the solo concrete economic result of the Conference is the retention of existing preferences, as cabled, deferring the wheat fjuota for an interim British examination preliminary to a Conference, and consideration of the proposed Ottawa Conference. The United Kingdom Government's first actual reply to the Dominions' preference proposals was not made until midnight on November 13th. It states plainly: The interests of the United Kingdom preclude an economic policy which would injure its foreign trade and add to the burdens of its people. Tho United Kingdom's only alternative suggestion is the exploration of other opportunities per medium of a reconstructed Marketing Board and Imperial Economic Committee. It is frankly admitted that not a single economic decision was reached. Empire Marketing Board. It is recommended that the Marketing Board be constituted a trust with a fund, and reconstructed as a body o£ trustees charged with the administration 6f the fund. The charter will bo extended to permit of the handling of home-grown products. The Board hereafter will be permitted to receive private contributions in addition to' Government grants. The canned fruit subcommittee recommends attention to the possibility of bulk purchasing and the formation of a purchasing organisation to negotiate long-term contracts with guarantees against dumping. Probably tho most concise section of the whole report is sixteen words, merely recording that the Conference received the Empire Press Union's recommendations in relation to cheaper Press cables and wireless.