UNEXPECTED PROGRESS

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 260, 29 July 1932, Page 11

UNEXPECTED PROGRESS

Imperial Conference GREAT ACTIVITY Businesslike Discussions DOMINIONS’ POLICIES (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) Ottawa, July 27. Although no official committees of the Imperial Conference met to-day, nevertheless there was great conference activity and further meetings ef inter-Dominion industry subcommittees, notably in regard to fruit The fruit problem is practically solved. Representatives of the fruit industry of all the Dominions met this morning with the leaders of the delegations and an agreement was reached in ninety minutes. The case, which is based on the same principles as butter and meat, namely, preference plus quota, is now ready for Immediate presentation to the British delegation. Everybody connected with the industry is extremely pleased at the result This rapid progress with butter, meat, and fruit Indicates the incalculable advantage of having Industry experts, on the spot facilitating thoroughly businesslike discussions inasmuch as all are intimately acquainted with the subjects. . Political Leaders in Background. The political leaders are taking a minor part at this stage of the proceedings as far as commodities are . concerned. Thus there is every Indication that unless a hitch unexpectedly arises, the conference will'successfully conclude earlier than the most optimistic predicted. Probably every item of the lengthy agenda will be adjusted to permit the British delegation to embark on August 20 at Quebeo on the Empress of .Britain, on which they have pencilled berths. Dominions’ Meat Scheme. The Dominion delegation leaders, with Mr. S. M. Bruce as spokesman, met Mr.' Neville Chamberlain, Mr. W. Runciman, and Sir John Gilmour, and presented the Dominions’ meat proposals. inasmuch as the plan is a considered and unanimous Dominions’ scheme the delegations felt convinced that Britain would ultimately give some concession. » Fruit Policy. The inter-Dominion Fruit Industry Committee met with the Dominion Ministers, Mr. N. C. Havenga presiding, and discussed the position and completed a uniform policy. The delegates considered their concrete proposals, in which . Canada is chiefly interested in apples and in a lesser degree Australia and New Zealand. South Africa is interested in citrus and luxury fruits; Canada, Australia, and South Africa in pears, and Western Australia' and South Africa in fresh grapes. Australia is enormously interested in canned and dried, fruits,. .. . The Empire proposals will now be submitted to the British delegation. Canada desires to postpond consideration of cereals and base metals until next week.Australia and South' Africa are alone interested in sugar and wines, a discussion of which has not yet been ar- • ranged. Unemployment Relief. Mr. J. G. Coates (New Zealand) will : bring up at the conference the question of unemployment with a view to establishing a committee of experts to investigate relief systems operating throughout the Empire and to collate any information likely to be valuable. This morning Mr. Coates enjoyed a flight over Ottawa with a war-time comrade, Mr. J. A. Rogers, a resident of Toronto, who was piloting his own aeroplane. This is the first occasion . Mr. Coates has snatched a’ couple of hours of leisure since the conference opened. Mr. Downie Stewart and he have been working until 2 o’clock every morning. LACKING IN QUALITY • Meat from Dominions ' . ' (Rec. July 28, 9.50 p.m.) , London, July 28. The ’’Daily Telegraph’s” agricultural editor expresses the opinion, that it will be five, to ten years before all the meatproducing Dominions are' able to send meat of the same quality as the Argentine’s. He says that the foundation stocks of most of the Dominions are only of moderate quality. They could have strengthened their herds with first-class breeding stock, which for years has been selling in Britain at ordinary commercial prices, but,the opportunities were neglected. QUOTA 'ON IMPORTS Mr. Coates’s Reference '‘ONE OF MANY PROPOSALS” "No special significance attaches at the. moment to statements made by Mr. Coates at the opening of the Imperial Economic Conference at Ottawa concerning the application of the quota system to New Zealand’s imports,” said the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, when the remarks were referred to him yesterday. Mr. Coates said in his opening speech that New Zealand would be prepared to discuss at the appropriate time the application of the quota system to selected articles which New Zealand imported. He was referring at the time to the application of the quota to non-Empire commodities placed on Empire markets, and he said that New Zealand was concerned with the threatened flooding of the markets she supplied with primary produce. Discussing these statements yesterday, Mr. Forbes said that at a time like the present, when trade was much dislocated, the Dominion was prepared to discuss any proposals at all that might be brought forward to assist Empire trading. It was vitally necessary that New Zealand should preserve her markets overseas, and any plan that might be suggested whereby this would be assured would receive consideration. It would remain for any proposal to apply the quota system to New Zealand imports to be thoroughly discussed before th® Domlnioa would be

able to say even whether this course would- be- desirable or possible of achievement with practical results. New Zealand looked to Great Britain for certain concessions, but in return the Dominion would have to be prepared to assist the Old Country. What form any plan might take would remain to be seen. Mr. Coates’s reference to a quota for imports was merely one proposal of many that might be considered at Ottawa