CRITICISM OF OTTAWA

Taranaki Daily News, 3 October 1932, Page 7

CRITICISM OF OTTAWA

ATTACK BY LORD SNOWDEN

“HOLLOWNESS OF CLAIMS”

“BRITAIN’S BAD. BARGAIN”

MR. BALDWIN MAKES REPLY

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, Sept. 30.

In a broadcast statement Lord Snowden declared that the British delegates made a very bad bargain at the Ottawa Conference. <f We hve gained practically nothing and given away much,” he said. The agreements when published would expose the hollowness of the claim that Britain had gained any substantial reduction of tariffs, Lord Snowden continued. Where tariffs were reduced they remained prohibitive and still much higher in many cases than foreign ones. It was easy to make a show of reducing tariffs when they were as high as 400 per cent. <f We remained in the Government in the hope that the Ottawa and the economic conferences would take steps to greater freedom' of world trade,” he said. “The Ottawa Conference banged, bolted and barred the door to any such hope.” Mr. Stanley Baldwin, following Lord Snowden, suggested that judgment on the' Ottawa Conference be suspended until the facts were known. It was a funny thing that the only resignations over the agreements throughout the Empire were Australian because the tariffs were reduced, and three British because they were raised too high. “I maintain that the Ottawa Conference lowered tariffs and has introduced the principle of reasonable, not prohibitive tariffs,” Mr. Baldwin sai£ He regretted the resignations, but said there was no crisis. The Government was solid and united and would see the job through.