ONE-DAY DEBATE

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 13, 10 October 1930, Page 11

ONE-DAY DEBATE

Expedition Regretted LOST PUBLICITY British Desire for Limitation (Rec. October 9, 7.15 p.m.) London, October 8. The Dominion representatives at the Imperial Conference were .urpnsed that the general economic debate was completed in a single day. Some rather regretted the expedition, feeling that two days for the opening speeches would have been more advantageous from the pomt of view of Press publicity. The British Government all along has desired to limit the general discussion, of which full reports will be issued to the Press, to a single day, being apparently eager to get the most awkward problem of the whole conference to the committee stage, with less complete publicity. Some Dominion representatives tonight criticised the failure of Mr. Thomas to indicate in more definite terms the British line on the question of promoting closer Imperial trade relations. Other quarters are not surprised that the British Government, faced with Cabinet differences on the fiscal issues, _ chose to await the utterance of Dominion representatives before showing their hand. The Canadian Prime Minister, Mr. R. B. Bennett, with his definite offer of 10 per cent, mutual preferences, dominated the position to-day, but well-informed people express the opinion that this would be of little practical value to anyone at the present juncture, and it is best describable as a first-class show piece, which merely emphasises the difficult position in which the MacDonald Government finds itself. Britain’s own proposals will be revealed later at a plenary meeting, after discussion in committee of the opening speeches. The Canadian proposition will be further discussed at Ottawa in six months’ time, based on the idea that the question of fundamentally altering the British fiscal tradition may then have been threshed out at a general election. BRITAIN’S NEXT MOVE Expectation of Dominions London, October 8. “The next move rests with the British Government,” said Mr. Forbes, in a statement to-night. “When we get into committee, we shall see whether between us we cannot work out some mutually advantageous new basis of inter-imperial trading. It was not to be expected that Mr. Thomas at the opening of the debate would be able to advance concrete offers, but the British Government now knows that the Dominions expect that the matter of preferences to Empire trade will be dealt with effectively at this Conference, and that all the Dominion delegates feel that unless some definite plan is decided upon at the present Conference it will be practically a waste of time. I believe the British Cabinet recognises that exceptional diseases need exceptional treatment, and that changes uprooting the long traditions of British* policy may be necessary. It is most important of all that Britain should protect her own home market, for from the New Zealand viewpoint we feel that a more prosperous Mother Country will be even more valuable in providing us with a market than preferences.” QUESTIONS OF POLICY Involved in Speeches London, October 8. Certain proposals contained in the speeches at the Imperial Conference economic debate involve questions of high policy with which Cabinets must deal. Hence the heads of delegations will discuss them as affecting their Governments, when it will be seen how much room is left for co-operation in the development of inter-imperial trade. In the course of the debate Mr. Parker Moloney, Australian Minister of Markets, following Sir Geoffrey Corbett (India), drew attention to the special urgency of Australia’s position regarding the wheat industry, and asked the Conference, in view of Canada’s concern in this, to constitute a committee to deal with it. It was agreed that this was unnecessary. because wheat would be considered by the Imperial Co-operation Committee. BENNETT TARIFF PLAN Divergent Views in Canada Vancouver, October 8. The Bennett Conference tariff plan has been greeted with widely divergent views. Mr. lan Mackenzie, Liberal, former Minister of Colonisation, declares that the scheme is a policy of telling the rest of the Empire that it must accept the Bennett proposals or there will be no Empire trade. It contains tbe vicious principle that there must be a tariff on everything It also provides for bargaining , r the Dominions themselves, with the result that there is bound to be discrimination against some in favour of others. It is wholly contrary to the policy of Great Britain as laid down by Mr. MacDonald, and smacks of interference in Old Country affairs. Canadian manufacturers express the keenest delight with the avowed policy of granting greater protection to Canadian industries, but Western lumbermen assert that Australia should be granted greater preference than the rest of the Empire in return for greater preference on British Columbia lumber. ECONOMIC BLIZZARD Tariffs No Protection LABOUR PAPER’S COMMENT (Rec. October 9. 10 p.m.) London, October-8. The “Daily Herald” says: “Mr. Thomas invited the Dominion Governments to contribute suggestions dealing with tbe economic situation, but none—if we except some vague remarks by Mr. Scullin and Mr. Forbes—had any suggestions to make except that the Mother Country should set up protection tariffs which would be the basis of an extended system of preference. This is the very bankruptcy of statesmanship. It is obvious that tariffs will afford no protection against tbe economic blizzard which has smitten America, Australia, and Germany as relentlessly as it had smitten free-trade Britain. The conference must find other remedies, _ but it is a tragedy that Dominion politicians are closing their minds to the need for seeking effective remedies. They contributed but one idea which is demonstrably patently ■'useless. We urge them to cooperate in a hard constructive effort which will deal with the situation and in which tariffs and free trade will alike be irrelevant.” UNEMPLOYMENT POLICY Maxton’s Motion Defeated Loudon, October 8. At the British Labour Party’s Conference at Llandudno, Mr. Maxtons amendment condemning the Government s ■

unemployment policy was heavily defeated. MARKETING PROBLEM Cheaper Distribution SELLING COST TOO GREAT (Rec. October 9, 7.15 p.m.). London, October 8. Proposing the toast of “Our Guests” at the Empire Marketing Board’s banquet to the Dominion delegates at the Imperial Institute, the Prince of Wales said he hoped to repeat extended visits to the oversea Dominions. Mr. J. H. Thqpias, Dominion Secretary, said some declared that there was no hope unless they adopted what he would call for short “the Bennett way.” Mr. Thomas urged that all parts of the Entire must contribute to the common good. Mr. R. B. Bennett, Prime Ministex of Canada, pictured the Prince haymaking on his Canadian ranch and blistering his hands. He suggested that if the Marketing Board had a little stronger steam it might do more of what was good advertising, namely, encouraging production. It the foreigner took the market barley would be selling in London at 4Jd. a bushel to the Canadian farmer. If the views Mr. Thomas expressed so brightly on such occasions were given effect to, they would all rejoice. Mr. J. H. Scullin, Prime Minister of Australia, said the real problem was not so much production as distribution. They wanted the market, but they wanted cheaper distribution to the consumer. The selling of products cost more than production. Some asked, why mix business with sentiment, but trade would strengthen the bonds of Empire.

RUSSIAN TIMBER

Purchases for Britain

London, October 8.

The Australian Minister of Markets, Mr. Parker Moloney, told the “Daily Herald” that the British Softwood Buying Corporation had provisionally agreed to buy all Russian imports of timber to Britain for 1931, to the value of between £8.000.000 and £9,000,000 representing fully one-third of the total softwood used here. Soviet agents handled this year's timber imports direct.