IMPERIAL AFFAIRS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 198, 23 July 1931, Page 2

IMPERIAL AFFAIRS

! DISCUSSION IN PARILAMENT. I SPEECHES BY PARTY' LEADERS. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, July 22. Resuming the Imperial Affairs debate in the House of Representatives, Hon. A. J. Stall-worthy suggested that consideration should be given ai the next Imperial Conference- to the ques-, tion of the zoning of production. , ; The Leader of the Labour Party (Mr H. E. Holland) expressed the opinion that definite trade agreements were more important than any tariff _ arrangements that could be made. When the Prime Minister had gone to the Imperial Conference definitely opposing bulk purchase he had done an c-ncr-! rnous disservice to the people of this; country. Bulk purchase would hare given us a systematised method of commercial relationships with Britain and would have enabled us .to guarantee 1 a minimum income to producers and a minimum income to wage workers. It would have stabilised the purchasing power of the people of this country arid would have assured a more satisfactory market for primary products: than at the present time, as well as contributing towards the solution or the unemployment problem. Refer-! ring to Singapore, Mr Holland asked what particular work was to stand over i for five years, and whether New Zealand would- still have to contribute j £125,000 annually, irrespective of the need for money to meet the unemployrnent distress here. STATUTE OF- WESTMINSTER. ! He expressed the opinion that the ‘ adoption of the Statute of Westminster was not nearly so fearsome a matter as Mr Rushworth imagined. It merely gave legal expression to a position already existing. He could not imagine any Dominion wishing the British Government to retain the power of veto over the laws it passed relating to its own domestic affairs and trade agreements with other countries. The clause relating to the appointment of" governors-general made the question one between the King and the Dominion concerned. This demonstrated the sentiment that had grown up in the' Dominions. The idea was not new to New Zealand, because in the past, front-rank statesmen such as Sir George Grey, Sir Robert Stout, Air; John Bailance and others had advo- i cated that we should elect our own , Governor-General. The Prime Alinister I had indicated that he did not favour 1 the appointment of our own Governor- j General, but Australia had followed the? example of the Irish Free State, and he predicted that the time would come when all the Dominions would take the same step, with New Zealand corning in last. This was not a very important matter, but was *n interesting constitutional issue. He was confident that there was a widespread feeling in New Zealand that the people of the Dominion rather than the Government or Britain should he a party to the appointments. Concluding, Air Holland reiterated that there was nothing to be alarmed about in the Statute of Westminster. There was no suggestion of | the disintegration of the Empire. He felt sure the bonds would lie fixed far more securely than any principle of subjection could provide for. TRADE WITH CANADA. Air W. J. Broadfoot said that Canada wanted to sell her goods, but did not want to take New Zealand’s goods in return. He considered the Prime Alinister had adopted the right attitude in not allowing Canada to make a door-mat of him. Referring to the whaling industry in the Antarctic, Air Broadfoot said that foodstuffs being j produced from whale oil were a serious menace to New Zealand produce. He considered it was a matter for the League of Nations to stop the indiscriminate slaughter of whales and make the industry one that would last for all time. Air W. J. Poison said that New Zealand would have to pay attention to placing produce in British ports other than London. The using of other ports should have been considered at tho conference, and, if the matter had been considered, why v.-as it not reported upon '{ Referring to bulk purchase, Mr Poison said that no satisfactory scheme had been put forward. If a satisfactory scheme were evolved, he believed the farmers would consider it. Air Poison agreed with Air Fletcher that a committee representing ail parts of the Empire should be set up to consider questions of trade. Until it was treated as a matter of business, nothing of any great value would he achieved. Mr C. E. AlacAlillan expressed the opinion that if we desired Britain to absorb more of our products we should bo prepared to take more of the Old Country’s exports. Mr C. H. Clinkard urged that the Dominion should endeavour to consume more of Britain’s produce. Air W. E. Parry questioned the Prime Minister’s right to state at the conference that New Zealand farmers did not favour bulk purchase. LEADER OF OPPOSITION. Tho Leader of the Opposition (Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates), referring to the Statute of Westminster, said while he believed there were one or two Dominions who would take advantage of its provisions, ho also felt confident that there would be several who \vould express a desire that their constitution should not lie altered. They would be content with the simple declaration itself. He did not think tho people of this Dominion generally fully recognised what defence meant to the outlying Dominions. They were inclined to forget that if they had to pay for it we would owe a fine penny to Britain. Mr Coates said that peace to a very great extent depended upon tho men who were conducting our foreign relations and carrying out tho very delicate negotiations. New Zealand had no Foreign Ministry and lie thought wo would bo very well advised to keep away from conducting our own foreign negotiations. It would take many generations for us to train men along those lines and we could depend upon the Mother Country to carry out the task. He was satisfied Britain was and had been for many years the greatest factor in the world for peace, and in this respect she was performing a great service on our behalf for which we were not paying a penny piece. It would he wise for us to make provision for a simple form of liaison on account of tho possibility of relatively rapid changes of Government, but on the other hand it had always been the case in the past that whatever Government was in office could bo depended upon to express tho true sentiments of tho people of Now Zealand. There were parties between whom there were very great differences on policy matters, but all were equally keen to maintain close association with Britain. DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS. Mr Coates stated he did not agreo that the Imperial Conference had been disappointing. There must be different viewpoints, between the different partners-of the British Commonwealth of Nations and lie failed to understand how they could got closer together without conferences. Ho was quite satisfied the money was not being wasted if tho Dominions obtained information that helped them to appreciate tho different viewpoints. He was

somewhat concerned over the present strained relations with Canada and! he urged that every reasonable step l be taken to bring about a closer re-1 lationship than exisited at the present time. He was certain the country was most anxious that a settlement should be reached because Empire trade was an ideal and he believed that ideal! would be substantially materialised in the near iJture. Discussing the forthcoming Ottawa Conference, Air Coates said he would like Air Forbes to indicate if he had had an opportunity of discussing trade relations with India. He believed there was an opportunity for the development of trade between New Zealand and India. He would also like to know if the trade relations between the Dominions generally would be closely discussed at the conference. It should be the politicians’ task to initiate and encourage inter-Empire trade and associated with them would be the civil service. Any further efforts in the direction of c-ementing trade arrangements such as the appointment of trade commissioners should rest with the representatives of . the various industries. Air H. G. R. Alason deprecated any feeling that New Zealand had not grown up and was not able to govern itself. . Other Dominions had a better idea of their status than New Zealand appeared to have. Air \Y. D. Lysnar said that next to a control board of producers he would support bulk purchase. TRADE AYITHIN THE EMPIRE. Hon. A. J. Alurdoch said that the Prime Alinister, like other Prime Alinisters, had gone to the Imperial Conference with the intention of arranging as far as possible better means of trading within the Empire. When Britain had established herself as a free trade country she had a large foreign trade, but conditions had changed and many foreign countries were manufacturing commodities previously purchased from Britain. If Britain wouid impose a small tariff for the benefit of products produced within the Empire, it wouid mean much to the Dominions and would tend to assist the workers of Britain. Comemnting on the work of the Empire Alarketing Board, the Alinister said that approximately £•500,000 had been, spent on propaganda and scientific research. That was all-embracing. The board’s idea was to make the Empire self-support-ing by increasing production in the Dominions and the Alother Country. Air G. C. C. Black advocated a permanent secretariat for the Imperial Conference. Air W. L. Alartin complained that Air Forbes had gone to the conference without knowing the minds of the various sections of the community. The debate was interrupted by the rising of the House at 10.30 p.m.