FEDERAL POLICY

Taranaki Daily News, 27 September 1930, Page 7

FEDERAL POLICY

AUSTRALIA AND EMPIRE MR. SCULLIN IMPERIALIST STATEMENT TO PRESSMEN CO-OPERATION NECESSARY. MOST ANSWERS PRECISE By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, Sept. 25. In his first contact with journalists at a packed gathering at the Savoy Hotel, including American and European newspaper men', Mr. J. 11. Scullin, Australian Primo Minister* appeared to make an excellent impression. He was cautious but frank on the outstanding features. He was emphatic in a declaration concerning the principle of secession. There was a fusillade ,of questions bearing on economic issues, Imperial trade and Australia’s standard of living, all seeking to obtain amplification of the Prime Minister’s carefully prepared and written statement. <. In some cases Mr. Scullin parried the questions as encroaching on the coiifcrbnce policy, but to others ho gave precise impromptu declarations, sufficiently definite to appease the questioners’ curiosity. The best sign that good relations had been established was the early lapsing into a friendly and more intimate discussion of his birth-place and tastes in art, literature and travel. The first searching question was an elaborate reference to the urgent need of economic co-operation. Mr. Scullin said the methods would be discussed at the Imperial Conference and he could not enter into details because it would mean interpreting the memorandum sent Mr. MacDonald by the Trades Union Congress and the of British Industries. IMPOSTS AND BUDGET. An English journalist asked how, im the face of reduced, imports balancing the Budget, Britain could expect an expansion of exports to Australia. ’ Mr. Scullin replied: “We are not:yet in the Imperial Conference, at which I have a number of things to,submit. I believe we can build Australian industries and still leave a field for a variety of British manufactures, especially the goods now supplied by foreigners.” The questioner: “Will not the trade treaties with Italy, Germany and France trench thereon” r ’ Mr. Scullin: “We have not entered into those treaties. We are most keen to strengthen reciprocity of trade with Britain.”

Replying to an American, Mr. Sculhn explained that migration activity -depended on the solution of Australia’s own employment problem. There were approximately 130,000 unemployed in Australia.

A journalist, whose main theme was the chance of developing British exports, made a partially heard reference to Australia trying to live on its own resources aloof from tho \est of the world and teaching the City of London a lesson. At this Mr. Scullin broke into a broad smilp. “I prefer not to answer hypothetical like' that,” he said. I

Asked in what spirit the', people of Australia faced their difficulties, Mr. Seullin said; “If I interpret them aright they regard the difficulties as temporary.” ' “What about the standard of living’” asked someone. Mr. Scullin: “We hope'to balance the Budget and meet our obligations without a reduction of the basic wage, on which the standard of living is mainly based.” The questioner: ‘Tf that is .impossfible, will you shrink from facing a wages reduction?” Mr. Scullin: “It is not ,for me to say. We are hopeful of doing it in some other way.” RIGHT OF SECESSION-. A South African raised the matter of secession: “Was Australia declaring its right to secede?”. Mr. Scullin: “My answer is, no. We do not regard the right as being challenged. We are not desirous of exer-., cising it. We believe the right exists. Equality of status means that, but we want to keep the Empire connection’.” The questioner: “The*matter will crop up. in an attempt to lay down the right definitely.” Mr. Scullin: “I will deal with that as it arises.”, Replying to a question regarding Western Australian secession, Mr. Scullin said it was not more likely to secede from the Commonwealth than Australia from the. British commonwealth of. In a typed statement issued to journalists this afternoon Mr. Scullin repeatedly stressed the family character of the British. commonwealth of nations, Australia’s . desire to continue therein, and the necessity for constantly conferring. ’ The statement . dealt lengthily with the debt repudiation question, and added: “We*.are a solvent nation. I sincerely hope that no more will be heard of the suggestion of repudiation.” The statement significantly dealt with the recent joint memorandum of the Trades Union Congress and the Federation of British Industries to Mr. MacDonald: “Tho assistance of all these bodies upon the urgent'need for economic co-operation in the British Empire will be strongly supported by Australian opinion. I hope, however, that tlie policies we are able to approve at the conference will go far beyond the creation of economic consultative machinery and will lead to the direct stimulation of the development of our joint resources and trade. It should surely be possible for the conference to devise methods to increase the prosperity of the British peoples as a whole.”