CONFERENCE IMPRESSIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19021, 17 November 1923, Page 9

CONFERENCE IMPRESSIONS

MR MASSEY INTERVIEWED. OBSERVATIONS ON PREFERENCE PROPOSALS. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright BONDON, November 15. ■ The Australian Press Association had aij ' interview with Mr Massey on his impress • t sions of the conference. Mr Massey said he thought that for the first time the attention of the whole country had beenj -- directed towards Imperial Preference,„ Although he was sorry that the decks werai being cleared for a paYty fight over thq question of Empire Preference and sen called Freetrade, he hoped the electors would remember, if it came to a straightout issue, that the whole Empire was in* 1 terested in the result, and that Empire interests should come before party interesta, : He could not help expressing regret ove» y the great delay in establishing Empirg . ■wireless. While Britain’s most urgerit I '-;: difficulty at present was the depression’-.,-which was hanging like a cloud over thei..country, there was plenty of ;;•_■ available, but its owners were shy of anything but first-ciass\investments, and thd European situation had also considerably , T reduced Britain’s markets. He regretted 1 the failure to secure the appointment of a committee to review the question of re- i parations, The difficulty over this ques« tion showed the necessity for Britishera making the most of the opportunities oi :;i developing Empire markets. Mr Massey said he believed that the first instalment of preference had encouraged the hopa :■ that gradually the Empire would becomes self-supporting. He would like_ to see th<S - - experiment tried of the Imperial Confer-: ence meeting in one of the more important ‘: capital overseas. He hoped that would have the good effect of enabling neople to ,• realise Empire interests. —A. and N.Z,' ■ Cable. ; ’