OTTAWA AGREEMENT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17951, 1 December 1932, Page 4

OTTAWA AGREEMENT

LABOR PARTY HOSTILITY

REPLY TO MR. COATES

(Per Press Association.) NELSON, last night. Mr. It. Semple, M.P., replying to the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates’ acceptance of his challenge that if anyone could prove that as tho result of the Ottawa Conference employment was going to bo made for our people, he would resign Lis seat and keep out of politics for the rest of his life, said Mr. Coates’ statement was no reply at all. The Labor Party, he said, had nover ,criticised, the Ottawa agreement! insofar as it applied to New Zealand primary producers' Criticism had been directed against those clauses which affected certain New Zealand secondary industries, and which rob - New Zealand , of its independence in the matter of developing , industries which the Labor Party considered natural to the Dominion. It was on this ground that the assertion, that the agrooinenti, rather than add to employment, would reduce it, was based.

“If benefits are accruing,” he said, “Mr. Coates should explain how it is that New Zealand butter has fallen on tho London market by approximately 20s per cwt. since the Ottawa Conference opened, and now, although New Zealand had a 10 per cent, preference against Denmark, Danish butter still continues at tho level of about 12Cs per cwt.”

The most effective answer, however, concluded Mr. Semple, was the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes’ statement that next year New Zealand would be faced with the most difficult year in the history of the country. If Mr. Forbes was right, what could be said for the Ottawa agreement*