PREFERENCE IN EMPIRE

Taranaki Daily News, 13 July 1929, Page 13

PREFERENCE IN EMPIRE

VIEWPOINT OF CANADIANS HINT OF ABOLITION SURPRISE CONFERENCE FAVOURED By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Australian Press Association. United Service. Vancouver, July 11 Reiterating his statement at Victoria that Canada has always been favourably disposed towards the joint discussion of problems of mutual interest to the nations of the Empire and would consider with favour any suggestion from the Government of Britain leading to an Empire economic” conference, the Minister of Finance, the Hon. J. A. Robb, again expressed surprise, over the reported declaration of the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt. Hon P. Snowden, against preferential policies.

“I believe,” Mr. Robb said, “in the British preference and I believe the British people, ■whom Mr. Snowden represents, welcome the preference given them by the Dominions. If Mr. Snowden is opposed to preferential tariff policies he is not representing the views of the British people as a whole. However, I am not making the policies of Great Britain. That country is capable of making its own tariffs. Britain is in accord with our own preferential pol-

icy.” With regard to Australia and New Zealand, Mr. Robb said they had the full British preference and gave Canada the full preference. Canada had a trade agreement with the Australian Government on specified products and the same ■applied to South Africa. Britain enjoyed the same privileges. “I do not believe the preference given by Canada to Australia or New Zealand lias done any harm to British Columbia.”

He contended there was no real opposition to the British preference in Canada, although he admitted that there might be some opposition to the manner of its application. He recalled that when Mr. W. S. Fielding introduced the preference policy there was opposition from the Opposition. Now the leader of the Opposition was preach-