OTTAWA PLANS

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 169, 13 April 1932, Page 5

OTTAWA PLANS

Manufacturers’ Plea SUGGESTED DELEGATE Minister of Industries A request that the Minister of Industries and Commerce should be included in the New Zealand delegation to the Empire trade conference at Ottawa was made to the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, by a deputation from the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation which waited upon him last evening. The speakers contended that, as other interests had made demands for specific appointments to the delegation, they were justified in seeking a similar concession. The Prime Minister, in replying, said that the representations would receive due consideration. Mr. J. T. Spears, president of the federation, said that at a recent conference of presidents representing the Wellington, Auckland and Dunedin associations, the following resolution was carried unanimously:— That in view of the material importance to manufacturers of the Ottawa Conference the Manufacturers’ Federation at this meeting of presidents, unanimously records its desire that the Minister of Industries and Commerce will be ineluded in the Government delegation to Ottawa, for in our opinion the matters liable to arise for discussion may so vitally compromise our prospective and existing industries that all possible safeguarding should be conceded them. Mr. Spears said that subsequent to the conference they had been informed that other sectional interests had presented demands for specific appointments to the Ottawa delegation, and as a consequence they felt fully entitled to press their opinion that the manufacturing and industrial interests of the Dominion should have the specialised attention of the Minister of Industries and Commerce. Need for Balance. “In furthering such opinion,” Mr. Spears said, “we lay stress on the need from a truly economic standpoint of progressive and scientific development of industries, on the value of capital now invested, and on the actual and prospective capacity of industries to provide employment to our people. “Though it is naturally hoped,” continued Mr. Spears, “Chat our primary industries will, to national advantage secure, as a result of the conference, and the welding of our Empire, substantially increased advantages in respect to market quotas or preferences, it cannot be accepted as reasonable that the negotiations of such issues should be expected to, or could competently be expected to, proceed under the control of other than a carefully balanced and skilful delegation. Additional support of our request for the inclusion of the Minister in charge of Industries will be, we trust, accepted from the fact that so far as can be gleaned from available sources of information, a Minister similarly qualified will form part of the official delegation of all other countries participating. ’ “We submit,” Mr. Spears added, “that the Minister in charge of Industries and Commerce, ‘ Hon. R. Masters, possesses the unqualified confidence of our industrialists and that . his inclusion in the delegation is justified by national necessities by the acceptance of a similarly placed and qualified delegate by all other countries interested, and by the need of preserving the confidence of our industrialists that the delegation is so balanced as to competently safeguard national interests.” Mr. Spears was supported by Air. F. Campbell, vice-president of the federation, Mr. J. Abel, president of the Wellington Manufacturers’ Association, and Mr, R. T. M. Edmonds, secretary of the federation.

Prime Minister’s Reply. The Prime Minister said he recognised that as representatives of the manufacturers they had a very close interest in the forthcoming conference and the proposals that would be placed before the delegates. His wish was that whatever arrangement was made the community would not feel it was one-sided. He did not know yet in what form questions would be presented to the delegates or what would be required of them. At the present time the Government was collecting data, but it had received no advice in respect of additional preferences to Great Britain. A practical consideration of the problems likely to be confronted with had yet to be entered upon. The deputation could rest assured, however, that when the Government came to consider the personnel of the delegation its representations would not be overlooked. “One realises that to-day is a time when a great deal can be done to encourage reciprocal Empire trade,” the Prime Minister said. “It will be recognised that from a primary producing point of view the more trade we can do with Great Britain the greater will be the. ultimate benefit to every section of the community. No matter what protection may be given to our local industries, unless the primary industry is in a flourishing condition trade is going to languish.” Mr. Forbes said he was seized with the necessity to extend as much as possible the markets for New Zealand’s primary products. lie thought that view would be shared by all concerned.