CONFERENCE DURATION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21250, 2 August 1932, Page 9

CONFERENCE DURATION

LASTING ALL OF AUGUST EARLIER FINISH UNLIKELY SOLVING MONETARY PROBLEMS By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright (Received August 1, 5.5 p.m.) OTTAWA, July 31 Opinion is veering to the view that the Ottawa Conference, in spite of the jarly rapid progress, cannot finish before the end of August. It is unlikely that the members of the British delegation will be able to occupy the berths they have booked on the luxurious liner Empress of Britain, which leaves Montreal on August 20. It is feared, however, that if the conference lasted much beyond that date, it would almost bo an admission of failure, but it is doubtful whether within three week? the monetary problem, now seen as a paramount item, can be solved or taken ,o a stage where a postponement to a wider conference would be agreeable to the Empire delegations. All the New Zealanders, except Messrs. Forsyth and Davis, London representatives respectively for the Meat and Dairy Boards, will return home immediately after Lho conference. TALK OF PEERAGES ARTICLE IN NEWSPAPER MR. BRUCE AND MR. BENNETT (Received August 1, 5.5 p.m.) OTTAWA. July 31. A friend, brandishing a local newspaper, iddressed Mr. S. M. Bruce, saying: "I see you are going to the House of Lords earlier than we expected." The newspaper article developed the dea that Mr. R. B. Bennett, Prime Minister of Canada, would shortly have a peerage as the Canadian representative on i projected Imperial economic general staff, which would supersede the Empire Marketing Board. The writer displayed remarkable misconception of British constitutional structure when he linked this proposed economic executive with the Privy Council lrid deduced that its members therefore must bo elevated to the peerage. TAEIFF SCHEDULE CANADA CONSIDERING CONCESSIONS TO BRITAIN OTTAWA, July 30 A committee of the Canadian Cabinet lias nearly completed a careful examination of the tariff schedule and is preparing i list of concessions which could bo granted Britain, particularly on cottons, woollens and steel. There is a growing feeling in Canadian Government circles that Britain is favourably disposed to give preference on wheat, meat and other primary products. One of Canada's concessions probably will be a curtailment of the authority of customs officials to fix arbitrary values for customs purposes, which Mr. Baldwin deprecated in his statement on Thursday. The committee on financial and monetary questions met to-day, and a full statement was made by the representatives of each delegation. The South African representative explained the reasons for the decision of the Union Government to remain on the gold standard, while the Indian delegate emphasised the fact that the benefits to production and trade of the preferential system, might be swept away unless supported by a monetary and credit policy ensuring the stability of general wholesale prices. The Australian representative similarly pointed out the disastrous effect to Australia of falling prices.