EMPIRE MARKETING BOARD

Northern Advocate, 21 July 1933, Page 5

EMPIRE MARKETING BOARD

QUERIES IN THE COMMONS. DOMINIONS TAKEN TO TASK. (Received 1 p.m.) LONDON, July 10. In reply to a question from Mr A. M. Lyons (Conservative, Leicester), the Dominions Secretary, Mr J. H. Thomas, said that arrangements were being made to discuss with the Dominion delegations the recommendations of the Imperial Economic Committee in relation to the Empire Marketing Board. If this or a similar body continued, Britain would not bo called upon to pay the whole costs. Mr R. D. Perkins (Conservative, Stroud) asked; “Is Mr Thomas aware that Australia has increased duties in five instances on British manufactures ?”

Mr Lyons then said; “Is it a fact that traders in Britain are rightly complaining that goods manufactured in the dominions are coming here below* cost? Is that keeping the spirit of Ottawa 9’ ’ Mr Thomas stated that Britain had carried out the letter and spirit of the agreements. There had been circumstances in the Dominion for which they were not wholly responsible that made it difficult for them to respond in the manner they should ordinarily have done. Mr Thomas’ intimation in the House of Commons that the dominions were being consulted regarding the fate of the Empire Marketing Board was the first the dominion delegations heard of the matter. The general impression is that there is sufficient residue from the Economic Conference to keep the dominion delegations busy well into August, but nowhere is there a suggestion that the deliberations should take the form of a miniature Imperial Conference.