OTTAWA CONFERENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21612, 6 April 1932, Page 7

OTTAWA CONFERENCE

THE BARGAINING IDEA DEPRECATED BY MINISTER (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) MONTREAL, April 4. “ I deprecate the entire idea of bargaining at the Imperial Conference. 1 would not like people to think that Britain will come with a closed fist to match Canada’s closed fist, and say ‘ I’ll open my hand if you’ll open yours.’ ” So the Minister of Trade (Mr H. H. Stevens) said in an interview on Monday. “ There is a feeling that at Ottawa there will not be a bargaining attitude, but that there will be a feeling of generous compromise on both sides, but no actual bargaining.” Asked what the standing would be of the Free State delegation if difficulty arose in connection with the oath of allegiance, Mr Stevens said: “I am sure tli-’ Free State will not do anything to impair its standing in the British Commonwealth.”

SIR THOMAS WILFORD’S VIEWS,

LONDON, April 4,

New Zealand had an excellent display at the York produce exhibition. Sir Thomas Wilford/ in a speech, said that any delegation that went to Ottawa hoping or expecting to “ win ” at the conference was an enemy of the Empire. The conference should be the ground on which men should reach economic understanding, not in a bargaining spirit, but in a spirit of co-operation.

INDIA TO BE REPRESENTED. $ INVITATION ACCEPTED. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 4. (Received April 5, at 5.5 p.ra.) The Government of India has accepted an invitation to send a delegation to the Ottawa Imperial Economic Conference. It has been informed that the conference will discuss the policy of trade agreements between different countries of the Empire, and it has been invited, in particular, to consider whether, having regard to the new British tariff policy, Great Britain and India should enter a tariff agreement embodying a reciprocal preferential regime designed to benefit the trade of both countries.

Sir A. Chatterjee, a former High Commissioner for India, will lead the Indian delegation, and other members will be: Mr Shanmukham Chetty (Deputy President of the Legislative Assembly), Sir Padamji Ginwala (President of the Indian Tariff Board), Mr A. H. Haroon (a prominent Karachi merchant), Sahibzada Abdul Samad Khan (Chief Minister of the Rampur State), and Sir George Rainy (retiring member for commerce in the Viceroy’s Council). THE CURRENCY PROBLEM. CANADA TO RAISE QUESTION. MONTREAL, April 5. (Received April 5, at 11.30 p.m.) Addressing the Canadian Club here, the Minister for Trade and Commerce (Mr H, H. Stevens) said: “At the forthcoming Imperial Economic Conference questions of inter-Empire trade will be carefully and efficiently studied, and high hopes are entertained that practical results will be achieved, but in my opinion the most notable service which the British Empire could render the perplexed and harassed world would be for the Commonwealth to find a solution of the currency problem. The Canadian Parliament, recognising the necessity of a monetary system will ensure stability of inter-Empire exchange, has instructed its delegates to promulgate the question at the conference and do all that is possible to achieve this most desirable end.”