“CHANCE OF A LIFETIME”

Taranaki Daily News, 18 June 1932, Page 5

“CHANCE OF A LIFETIME”

EMPIRE CONFERENCE AT OTTAWA BRITAIN PREPARED FOR BUSINESS POLITICAL LEADERS’ CONFIDENCE By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received 8.30 p.m. London, June 16. “JF all the Dominions were as ready for the Ottawa conference as is Britain the conference would not fail for want of preparation,” said Mr. J. H. Thomas, Dominions Secretary, in opening a debate on the Ottawa conference in the House of Commons. “We do not view Ottawa as a sort of disarmament conference which has been going on for a long time. We must be business-like. The British Government will certainly go to the conference prepared to state its views on the whole question of currency. Referring to migration Mr. Thomas said the only way of assuring an outlet for Britain’s surplus population was the restoration of the Dominions’ prosperity. He could not state the Government s intentions regarding meat or timber or anything else as he was going to Ottawa with a free and unfettered mind.

FREER TRADE OBJECTIVE RATIONALISATION OF INDUSTRY. RECONCILIATION OF INTERESTS. By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. Rec. 8.30 p.m. London, June 16. Mr. Thomas said it would be the duty of the Ministers, when they met their fellow Dominion statesmen and with them represented a quarter of the population of the world, including all classes, creeds and politics, to see how they could direct their energies to obtain more and freer trade. The difficulty would be to reconcile the differing inter-, ests. They were encouraged to hope by the fact that they were meeting representatives of their kin with the tremendous advantage of goodwill on all sides. The first question would be the steps which could be usefully taken between the Dominions of mutual advantage to each other’s trade. That alone covered a wide range of subjects and raised definitely the question of tariffs, and with it the question of Imperial preference. Britain had made a great contribution to goodwill by her own action on this matter, and they believed that the gesture would be reciprocated. SECONDARY INDUSTRIES. Regarding secondary industries in the Dornffiions, Mr. Thomas suggested that where different manufactures were not made in the Dominions they could be made better and more cheaply in Britain. Such goods should b; subjected to a process of rationalisation and agreement as between one Dominion and another. After trade and related matters there were monetary and financial questions, which must include the whole question of currency. He thought that changing world conditions and the changed relationship in the British Commonwealth all justified the hope and belief that there might emerge from the conference some body representing all the Dominions that would be able to be in daily contact. The policy of the British Government, said Mr. Thomas, was to go to Ottawa absolutely free and unfettered and with an open mind, prepared to examine every question on its merits and prepared to approach the problems not unmindful of their own responsibilities and obligations, but all the time keeping in mind the wider view of the situation. If they could, by common agreement, reconcile divergent interests and help each other it would be a great example to the world. LABOUR SEEKS INFORMATION. Sir Stafford Cripps (Labour) contended that the House should be given an outline of the Government s policy, or at least its policy on the main questions and how far the Ottawa conference was going to over-ride the Lausanne conference. They were entitled to. know whether the Government was going, to offer a tax on wheat and meat. Nothing was more certain to disrupt the Empire than to make the British people pay taxes on these foods in order to subsidise Dominion farmers with Imperial preferences. Britain could not afford to

limit her markets for her specialised products. Furthermore, the Government had given no lead on the monetary question. Mr. L. C. M. S. Amery said the essence of the world crisis was the breakdown of the international monetary system. The gold standard had collapsed and nothing was attainable at Lausanne or elsewhere to “put Humpty Dumpty back on the wall” 'in the near future, but the Ottawa conference would enable them to right matters within the Em-

pire. Referring to the Free State, Mr. Amery said there should be freedom to withdraw any preferences from those who were not fully playing the game. (Cheers.) If Mr. Neville Chamberlain was able to announce at Ottawa that their definite aim was to restore the price level of 1929 in terms of sterling he believed there would be no difficulty in arriving at an agreement satisfactory to the whole Empire. TREND TO LARGER UNITS. Mr. Stanley Baldwin, replying, said the Ottawa conference was specially important because they were at the parting of the ways. Ths whole economic pull of the world was in the direction of larger units. H the Dominions did not come into closer economic union with Britain serious dangers might come between the component parts of the Empire. The Empire was the only market in the world to which Britain might have preferential entrance. The Colonies and Dominions were ths only countries in whjch Britain might hope to see a population of British stock increasing, and many British people finding homes. His own view and the Government’s general objective were freer or reciprocal free trade within the Empire. He would be deeply disappointed if arrangements were not concluded which would enable Britain to continue indefinitely the preference given in the first Import Duties Act. “The chance of a lifetime is before us,” said Mr. Baldwin. “If it is thrown away it may never return.” As regarded the currency question, they had to consider at Ottawa the inter-relationship of the various currencies and monetary standards of the Empire with a view to promoting conditions most favourable to mutual trade and intercourse. The main thing was to get together and understand each other’s viewpoint. “It might clear the air if,’ he stated, “we do not want the exchange value of the pound Lo rise, We do definitely want a rise in wholesale prices, but personally I should dread the running-away of retail prices. We have no intention of returning to the gold standard so long as gold behaves as it is doing.”

SOUTH AFRICAN DELEGATION.

THREE MINISTERS depart.

Cape Town, June 16.

The delegates of the Union of South Africa to Ottawa will be Mr. N. C. Hftvenga, Minister of Finance, Mr. A. P. J. Fourie, Minister of Mines and Industries, and Mr. P. G. W. Grobler, Minister of Lands. The delegation sails this afternoon.