EMPIRE PROBLEMS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 92, 20 April 1938, Page 5

EMPIRE PROBLEMS

MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING

In making an official statement on behalf of the New Zealand Farmers' Union delegation, Mr. W. W. Mulholland, the president, said that the-fact that producers from all over the Empire had sat round a table and discussed their problems would have made the conference well worth while even if nothing else had been done at it. Everyone had now a realisation that "the other fellow" also had some problem of his own. Delegates had left the conference with a much clearer understanding of the points of view of the producers of the different parts of the Empire, and this knowledge should prove very valuable. There had been a general willingness by everyone present to see the other side, and the atmosphere of the conference had been most harmonious, though the representatives of each Empire country stated their respective positions with absolute frankness. ' The decisions arrived at meant that the conference supported the principles laid down at Ottawa in regard to Empire preferences, and that the other parts of trje Empire should do what New Zealand was already doing in regulating the spacing of shipments of meat and dairy produce. If this were done it was felt that it would go a long way towards maintaining a regular flow of products on to the Home market, thus lending towards stable prices, ii was agreed by delegates

that regularity of supply would tend to stability of prices, which, in turn, would help to expand consumption. However, it should be noted that me Empire Commodity Boards proposed, to be established for this purpose couia | come to no decision which was not unanimous, thus safeguarding any country from being coerced by Others whose interest in a particular, matter might not be so vital as its own. EMPIRE ORGANISATION. It was also agreed to go some part of the way towards setting up an Em--3 pire farmers' organisation, which would keep the farmers' organisations of the ? Empire in touch with each other, and i in touch with development in the i various countries, not only in regard ■ f to marketing matters, but also in regard to all matters of -interest to primary ' producers^ The conference also passed 1 a resolution affirming the necessity of seeking further foreign markets and f strongly urging the Empire countries to work in concert towards this end. " The leaders ofcthe various delegations 3 were to form a committee and would - keep in touch with each other with the s object of considering the best means of establishing this Empire organisation and with the question of cons vening a second British Empire pro--2 ducers' conference in three years' time.

The decisions of the conference were, it was clearly understood, subject to ratification by the various farmers' or-' ganisations-. in the different Empire countries.

Mr. Mulholland paid tribute to the work of Mr. Dunlop, M.L.A., and the assistance of the -New South Wales Government and the Hon. M. F. Briixner, deputy-Premier of New South Wales. He also expressed appreciation of the hospitality extended to the delegation.