QUESTION OF PREFERENCES."

Otago Witness, Issue 3995, 7 October 1930, Page 49

QUESTION OF PREFERENCES."

MR SNOWDEN’S WISH.

LONDON, October 3.

What is at present causing the most lively interest in dominion circles is the speculation concerning what Mr Thomas will have to disclose as Britain’s contribution to the Empire trade programme on Wednesday, when there will be a full dress debate. It is impossible to get confirmation of the Morning Post’s story that Britain will offer only an economic secretariat, which would be chiefly concerned in co-ordinating information helpful to intertrade movements.

Gossip in dominion circles, including Australia and New Zealand, indicates the possibibty of some plain speaking if Mr Snowden and Mr Graham deter the Cabinet from making some gesture in the direction of strengthening the preferences. While the dominion delegates just shrug their shoulders when the possibility is mentioned that Mr Snowden is attempting to carry out his wish to abolish preferences, one went so far as to suggest that the fate of the Ministry might hang on this question. Next week certainly will be a vital one in the history of the conference. Proof of the intense interest shown in the economic issue is the nightly attendance of journalists representing many countries —notably Americans—who report most fully the developments on this matter. It is worth recalling that at the 1926 conference only a handful of foreign journalists made an appearance at the conference press room.

Mr Forbes’s presentation of the ease for Empire trade co-operation on Wednesday will be a careful review of the tendencies of New Zealand trade, whers, despite heavy preferences, British imports have shown some decline, chiefly owing to American penetration in motor cars and radio apparatus. Mr Forbes’s chief point in this connection will probably be the failure of British manufacturers to hold the market for many articles against American competition, despite all the advantages they enjoy.