IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16425, 8 May 1924, Page 5

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

BRITAIN'S INTEREST BURDEN ON BEHALF OF ALLIES.

A PREFERENCE PROPOSAL REJECTED.

(Reuter's Telegram.) (Received May 8, 10 a.m.) •, LONDON, May 9.

Replying in the House of Commons to Sir Edward Grigg, Mr. Snowden said it was calculated the annual interest charge payable by British taxpayers on loans made to the Allies during the war exceeded one hundred millions sterling. A proposal to stabilise preference on Empire sugar at per hundredweight for one year, as compared with the ten years recommended at the Imperial Conference, was made in an amendment moved by Sir Mitchell Thomson in the course of the. Budget discussion. The mover advanced a strong plea on behalf of the Crown Colonies specially concerned. The amendment was rejected bv 243 votes to 182.

DEBATE' ON SUGAR RESOLUTION

POSITION OF CROWN COLONIES.

(Reuter's Telegram.) (Received May 8, 11 a.m.) LONDON, May 7

In the House of Commons, Sir Mitchell Thomson, speaking to his amendment, pointed out that the effect of the Budget proposals would be to reduce preference proposals to Is Hid per hundredweight, and: contended that preference in the past had resulted 1 in an .increase of Empire sugar production from eighteen per cent, of the world's production in 1913 to twenty-two per cent, last year. He compared the preference of 33s lOd per ton given by Britain to the West Indies with £lO 5s given by th 0 United States to Porto Rico. He maintained that the expansion of the Empire sugar industry was essential, politically, fiscally, commercially, and Imperially. Sir Ormsby Gore, in seconding the amendment, maintained that the Colonial Secretary had failed lamentably in not impressing on the Chancellor the consideration of the West Indies and Mauritius interests, wheh demanded the stabilisation of preference. The worst feature of the Budget was the repudiation of responsibilities to the tropical Crown colonies.

Mr. Snowden, opposing the amendment, said the total Empire production liad only increased fen per cent, in three years since preference began to operate, while the . West Indies, for which a special plea was entered, had actually decreased. Preference simply meant a subsidy by British taxpayers to the West Indies planters. It had disastrously reduced the production of Empire sugar by twenty-five per cent. Lord Percy, on behalf of the Opposition, protested against the Governments acting contrary to its pledge to take a free vote on the Economic Conference s resolutions. Mr. Graham replied that the pledge only concerned the forthcoming debate on the Imperial Conference. The sugar resolution was confirmed unaltered. ...