JAPANESE GOODS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23335, 29 October 1937, Page 12

JAPANESE GOODS

PERSONAL BOYCOTT URGED FEDERATION OF LABOUR MR SAVAGE NON-COMMITTAL iFrom Our Parliamentary Reporter' WELLINGTON. Oct. 28. A non-committal attitude was adopted by the Prime Minister (Mr M. J. Savage) when he was asked to comment this evening on the decision of the Federation of Labour to recommend a personal boycott of Japanese floods by trade unionists in New Zealand. The Prime Minister said he had seen a report regarding the boycott, but at the present stage he had no comment to make. The actual matter to which Mr Savage's attention was drawn this evening was a report in the Labour paper the Standard, announcing a recommendation by the Federation of Labour. This report states that at a meeting of the National Council of the Federation the president (Mr A. McLagan) gave a lengthy report concerning the events and discussions which had led the executive of the federation to recommend its affiliations not to refuse to handle cargo for Japan other than scrap metal. Mr McLagan also outlined the discussions which executive members had had with the Prime Minister and members of the Cabinet. The Prime Minister, he said, had given the deputation many reasons why an embargo on Japanese snipping should not be imDosed. Labour Paper's Report The report in the Standard proceeds as follows: —" The deputation, continued Mr McLagan, had told the Cabinet that, if international trade union action was taken to stop .trade with Japan, the federation would recommend the workers of New Zealand to take similar action. Mr McLagan further suggested that the federation should get into touch with the Labour movement in other countries, and to ascertain what steps were being taken and when any proposed action was likely to be put into operation. "Mr W. Wood (Hawke's Bay) said the federation should consult and work in with the International Federation of Trade Unions and the Labour and Socialist International. " Mr W. Cuthbert stated that the Auckland Trades Council and the Auckland Waterside Workers' Union had instructed him to press for a boycott of Japanese goods. He moved—" That the Federation of Labour instructs its affiliations to conduct a personal boycott of the purchase of Japanese goods.' The motion was seconded by Mr J. Thorpe (Waihi) and carried." Warning from Japan A cablegram from Sydney, giving a warning that the Japanese Government regards a boycott movement in Australia against Japanese goods as very serious, was also brought to the notice of Mr Savage. The cablegram stated that Japanese business men in Sydney had said that, if the boycott were continued, it would cause Japan to retaliate against Australia's wool and wheat exports. Japan was likely to enter the wool markets in full strength early in the New Year, and, in addition, would arrange for increased shipments of frozen beef for army consumption from both Australia and New Zealand. It was suggested to Mr Savage that Japanese reaction, as reported in the cablegram from Sydney, might apply with equal force to New Zealand in the event of a " personal boycott" by trade unionists. The Prime Minister agreed that any talk of a boycott was serious, but added that he was not in a position to comment on the matter at the present stage.