IMPERIAL RELATIONS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 31 July 1926, Page 5

IMPERIAL RELATIONS

DISCUSSED IN COMMONS.

THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

MIGRATION MATTERS

BY CABLE—PRESS' ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. LONDON, July 29. In tile Hou se . of Commons, on the second reading of the Consolidated Fund Bill, Mr J. H. Thomas initiated a discussion on Dominion matters. He commended the Hon. L. G. ML. S. Amery’s attitude on the constitutional difficulty in Canada. It ought to go on record, he .said, as a definite statement that whatever view the Gov-ernor-General took he acted on his own responsibility without interference of anv kind from Downing Street. Mr Thomas made an appeal in favour of keeping Dominion affairs ft way from party controversy. Viscount Sandon contended that the Dominions should take a share in shaping the Government policy. Co'onel Angus McDonnell advocated that the Secretary of State should visit the Dominions whenever the opportunity offered to Acquaint himself with their difficulties and problems. Mr Amery, replying, said that in view of the amount ,of work involved and also the growing complexity and importance of Dominion and colonial affairs, he was" inclined to think that the two offices of Secretary io£ State ought to be departed. Dealing with the Imperial Conference, Mr Amery pointed out that the British: and Dominion. Governments did not interfere with each other. The Dominions were partners and .just as independent as Britain. The difficulty Was that the conferences largely dealt with executive policy for. which only the Governments could take, the responsibility in the continuity of that policy. Referring to migration, Mr Amery agreed that there-should ba some form of inter-imperial consultation, not on a. strict party basis, which would contain the nucleus of ftn organisation that would meet the need of progress in Empire .settlement. The whole business of settlement must be done by the Government on the spot. The who’e essence of the British policy was to recognise the responsibility of the Dominions for their own settlements and choice of settlers. At the forthcoming conference, Mr Amery intended to press for a More elastic interpretation of some of the rules applied by the Dominions in the choice of settlers. The Empire Marketing Committee had already, done much in the way of publicity to help the British public to realise the ex- • tent tm which it was possible to obtain Em Dire supplies. Air T. Johnston (Labour) advocated the bulk purchase of the Dominions’ exportable surplus for distribution here at cost price, so that every working man ft.nd woman might have a share in tjh«a •dividend of tire Empire. Mr IT. J. Booth by (Conservative) said he was convinced that ultimately the establishment of ftn Imperial zollverein (a Customs union.) would be necessary to compete with American mass production and a possible Central European zollverein headed by Germane.