CONFERENCE DEADLOCK

Hawera Star, Volume L, 27 October 1930, Page 5

CONFERENCE DEADLOCK

MR FORBES SEES NO HOPE “NO PROGRESS POSSIBLE” SPEEDING UP CONCLUSION. LONDON, Oct. --i- ---• j. see no nope ot unanimity on the question of promoting mcra-v-mput; watte," ’ .■declared Mr. T orloes, interviewed by the “Sunday ui spa ten. "the Government has auopted an attitude oi ‘no surrender’ anu tins j. consiaer lias preeiuttea any possimlicy oi real progress m accepting ivxr. teuowden’s view of preferential tariiis. l see no Hope in the quota system anu New Zealand is generally opposed to the idea of built purchasing.

••Though l believe the conference is doomed to ue abortive except in matters line co-operation, i do not regret coming personally into contact witn leading oritons.”

The heads of the delegations are elueny concerned with the desire to speed up the conclusion. . They had expected to receive the reports of. the principal committees on Friday.' These were not forthcoming, but it was. reported that an attempt to force early reports would result in failure to attain agreement. The Prime Ministers therefore decided to content themselves with a general recommendation to the committees to “get a move on.”

lt is learned that the South African and Irish Free State members continue hair-splitting in the Sankev legal committee. They failed to originate an alternative title to His Britannic Majesty, and the point is therefore likely bo be dropped. The same Dominions are objecting to a clause in British trade treaties insisting that • equal privileges should be available to all Dominions. Their anxiety seems to be to obtain' all available privileges, but to avoid all costs.

A question causing much discussion is whether the Dominions should legislatively give effect to the 1926 status declaration in laws already on the Statute Books. The majority of the Dominion delegates desire the question to be left entirely to their own discretion.

The Australian and New Zealand delegations are aiming to obtain at least a fortnight’s interval after the conference for provincial touring before proceeding home. The economic co-operation committee. under the President of the Board of Trade (Mr. W. Graham) has decided to go into more details as to steps other than a tariff that might be taken to secure closer . co-operation. Three sub-committees were for this purpose set up. One will consider the practicability of applying the machinery of such schemes as bulk purchase, import boards and quota to canned goods. The United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and South Africa are represented on this committee. A similar sub-commit-tee. on which the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the Irish Free State are represented, will deal with butter, cheese, eggs, bacon and poultry. A third sub-committee to investigate possibilities in regard to fresh fruit comprises United Kingdom, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Canada.