“MUST REGULATE EXPORTS”

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIV, Issue 21001, 1 April 1938, Page 9

“MUST REGULATE EXPORTS”

SCOPE OF BRITISH MARKET WARNING AT PRODUCE CONFERENCE TARIFF AS BARGAINING WEAPON United Press Association— By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received March 31, 9.45 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 31. ‘•Empire producers will have to regulate voluntarily their exports to the United Kingdom, or take pot-luck with the president of the British Board of Trade,” declared Sir Reginald Dorman Smith, leader of the British Delegation at the empire producers conference to-day. The British Government was determined, he added, that there should be some regulation and desired It should be done by the producers themselves. Sir Reginald moved a long motion the substance of which favoured the principle that Britain should give first place on her home market to the home producer, second place to the Dominions and third place to foreign countries. The motion urged producers to do everything possible to develop interImperlal trade and urged the Dominions immediately to conduct treaty negotiations In order to expand foreign markets, and that machinery should be set up to regulate supplies to the United Kingdom market from all sources. It was also suggested there should be complete revision of the present methods of organisation on an Empire economic and co-operative basis. Mr W. W. Mulholland (New Zealand) asked: “Does this resolution mean that we, as a conference of farmers, approve of local restrictions on Empire trade.” Sir Reginald: “This resolution applies only to the United Kingdom market." He pointed out that if they could use the Empire as a bargain unit they could force foreign countries to examine their own fiscal systems. Sir Reginald Dorman Smith emphasised that the British Government was desirous of bringing about economic appeasement, freer trade and a greater flow of international trade, with reservation that they were not going to have their industrial population placed out of work by going completely back to old conditions. Mr J. H. Wain another member of the British Delegation, In seconding Sir Dorman Smith's motion, said that the British Government was determined to do something In the fulfilment of its responsibility to its primary producers. Plan Criticised The Australian delegates warmly criticised the British plan. Mr T. Bath (Western Australia) feared Sir Dorman Smith was asking them to take the wrong road and contended that an Empire policy aiming at self-sufficiency, with restrictive attitude to foreign countries, Involving a chain of regulative control that would be difficult to undo. Major Waite, M.L.C. (New Zealand) said what concerned the New Zealand delegation was whether the British proposals involved quantitive restriction. That point must clearly be settled in committee. The discussion was proceeding when the conference adjourned.