FRIENDSHIP IN EMPIRE

Taranaki Daily News, 29 September 1930, Page 9

FRIENDSHIP IN EMPIRE

PREMIERS AT CONFERENCE

BENEFIT OF PERSONAL CONTACT. AUSTRALIAN FINANCE PROBLEM. DOMINION’S DEVOTION TO EMPIRE. British Wireless. Rugby, Sept. 26. A statement; on the problems confronting the Imperial Conference has been made to the Press by the Australian Prime Minister, Mr. J. H. Scullin, and the New Zealand Prime Minister, Mr. G. W. Forbes. Mr. Scullin, referring io the benefit of personal contact between members of the family of the British Commonwealth, recalled that Australia, in common with other countries, had felt the effects of the world-wide trade depression. “We have been faced with the necessity. not only of redressing the trade balance,’. Mr. Scullin said, “but also of finding sufficient money in London to meet our regularly recurring interest and other charges, amounting to more than £f 10,000 annually. There has been no question of our ability to pay this money, although payment under the new conditions of lowered ■world prices will impose a heavy burden upon us for the time being, but I sincerely hope no more will be heard of the suggestions that we are not prepared to meet our obligations. There never was any doubt about this matter. “Holders of Commonwealth bonds may rest assured that we are a solvent nation, and they need have no fear about our honouring our commitments. They should take no serious notice of the irresponsible talk about repudiation. They represent the view of so small a minority of Australians as to be nearly negligible. They carry no weight whatever. The overwhelming majority of Australians regard the national debt as their personal debt, and they are as jealous of the national honour as of their own.”

Referring to the work of the conference, Mr. Scullin anticipated that most of the important work would lie in the economic and constitutional spheres. Full equality of status between the Dominions and Great Britain was to-day explicitly and definitely recognised. The people of Australia desired to maintain the strength of the ties of friendship that bound the great Commonwealth family together and at the same time to ensure them elasticity. They hoped the discussions regarding the economic situation would go beyond the creation of consultative machinery and would lead to the direct stimulation of joint Imperial resources and trade. Mr. Forbce told the Press representatives that he had chatted for ten minutes -with Mr. Ramsay MacDonald in the forenoon. He had heard Mr. MacDonald in New Zealand in 1906 and formed the opinion that he was one of the most eloquent protagonists of Empire unity. He paid ' a tribute to Mr. Philip Snowden, who wag the only member of the Government ’ whom he had met personally in New Zealand. New Zealand was interested in the constitutional problems involved in the 1926 conference decisions but was not prepared to formulate anything inconsistent with the most fervent devotion to Imperial unity. He proposed to cooperate with Dr. Marsden in the development of* scientific research, which had already had the most profitable results in New Zealand.

He paid an enthusiastic tribute to Lord Bledisloe as a most understanding Governor of farming problems. 'Questioned with regard to secession, Mr. Forbes emphatically declared that the word was absolutely unknown in New Zealand, which w as indissolubly attached to the Empire. ( Mr. Forbes visited Mr. J. H. Thomas, Secretary for the Dominions, also Sir Edward Harding, of the Dominion Office, and then in the afternoon held an intimate discussion with Sir Thomas Wilford on New Zealand affairs.