CONSERVATIVES STAND FOR – UNITED EMPIRE

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 October 1948, Page 5

CONSERVATIVES STAND FOR - UNITED EMPIRE

LONDON, October 7

The Conservative Party conference called for a new conception of Commonwealth relations with the Empire as “one great strategic and trading

mm. The conference pledged the Conservative’s utmost efforts for the denunciation of the Geneva trade treaty and the non-ratification of the Havana Charter, insofar as the two pacts limited or contemplated limitation of the referential system.

A Socialist Split?

Another resolution demanded that the question of the nationalisation, ol steel be put lo the country and action deferred until the people gave a new mandate.

Mr Oliver Lyttlclon told the conference that the Government was ,<plit over the steel nationalisation issue. "The extreme Socialists in the cabinet must pres§ for more Socialism. while the moderates say. ’Lot us have one little success in nationalisation before we move further.’ ” “The conservatives fear there will soon be too few private enterprises to pay the losses of nationalised coal, gas, electricity and transport.” The conference unanimously approved a resolution endorsing the action of the House of Lords in iejecting the Parliament Bill and supporting the leaders of the party in *uch a measure of reform as would best enable the Lords to discharge its duties under the constitution.

Right and Left “To me the extreme Right is almost as distasteful as the extreme Deft, said Mr Anthony Barber, moving a resolution that “a reformed Second Chamber would guard against these extremes. The one proposed in the Parliament Bill will guard against neither. The bill is political dishonesty and will do nothing to solve cut problems at home or abroad.” Lord Salisbury said the Conservatives held thefnselves free, when they returned to power, to introduce a proper, comprehensive scheme or reform covering both the powers and membership of the Lords. MR FRASER HAS