UNITED BODY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 40, 1 February 1932, Page 8

UNITED BODY

FACING NATIONAL PROBLEMS BRITISH CABINET'S DETERMINATION. RETURN TO ECONOMIC SANITY. London, Jan. 29. Referring to Cabinet in an address to his constituents, Mr MacDonald declared that the world was still creaking and cracking with problems producing a position transcending party interests. “Differ as we may, Cabinet today is more determined than ever to face national problems as a united body. Replying to criticism that the Government was not possessed of a reparations policy, Mr MacDonald declared that the Government had stuck to its policy right through and was going to stick to it until the error was wiped off the history of Europe. Britain’s policy is a return to economic sanity. Mr MacDonald emphasised that the repayment of £30,000,000 on Januarv 25 was a great triumph. The condition of sterling showed that the world believed Britain’s honesty. He added: “Tariffs must not raise the cost of living or create tariff walls. On the contrary, we must bring the walU down. Moreover, tariffs must not increase the cost of production, hampering exports or inducing inefficiency.”

TARIFF BILL APPROVED. LIBERAL MINISTERS SILENT. London, Jan. 30. Mr Baldwin, in the absence of Mr MacDonald, presided at a Cabinet meeting, at which the general terms of the Tariff Bill were approved. Lord Snowden was absent. Sir Herbert Samuel, Sir John Sinclair and Sir Donald MacLcan, who were present, did not participate in the discussion. Mr Baldwin, addressing tho Empire Industries Association, said there hud been delay owing to the necessity of permitting the investigations agreed upon when the Liberals joined the National Government. They were now at the point a Conservative Government would have reached three months earlier. Otherwise the Government was proceeding along the lines that had been adopted by the Conservative Government.