EMPIRE TRADE.

Wairarapa Age, 6 October 1936, Page 5

EMPIRE TRADE.

DISCUSSION BY WELLINGTON CONGRESS. BUILDING ON THE OTTAWA AGREEMENTS. WHAT BRITISH TRADERS WANT. WELLINGTON, October 5. Intra-Imperial trade was discussed by the Congress of Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire this morning when the need for bilateral agreements to overlay the Ottawa Agreements was pressed by English delegates. It was stated that some of the Dominions had received great benefits from the agreements in force without giving a reasonable market in return, and consequently British traders wanted changes made without waiting for a review of the Ottawa Agreements in 1937.

Mr. C. Granville Gibson, M.P. (Association of British Chambers of Commerce) moved:— ‘‘That this fourteenth Congress of Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire, whilst wholeheartedly supporting the principle of economic co-opera-tion underlying the Ottawa Agreements, urges his Majesty’s Governments, in giving practical effect to that principle, to follow in future the following courses:—• “1. To accelerate tariff board procedure with a view to eliminating unnecessary trouble and expense to applicants. “2. Whilst making the-existing Ottawa Agreements more effective in the manner indicated above, to overlay them with further agreements negotiated bilaterally, rather than through another Imperial Economic Conference, such bilateral agreements to ensure specific tariff treatment to a selected list of commodities, rather than to rely for advantage to the contracting parties on the application of vague general principles. “3. All future agreements between Empire countries should contain provision for consultation between the Governments concerned as and when it appears to any one of them that an opportunity has occurred for initiating a movement towards a general reduction iu world tariffs and the removal of restrictions and barriers to world trade.

“Further, this congress, recognising

“ (a) That the practical application of the Ottawa Agreements has disclosed a lack of cohesion in the economic policies of the United Kingdom and of the Dominions; “(b) That the time has arrived when the relationship of industry and agriculture must be brought into due perspective if mutual prosperity is to ensue;

submits that the ideal to which a policy of Imperial economic co-opera-tion should be directed is that each partner should extend to the others all the advantages which can be offered at a given moment without detriment to the vital requirements of its domestic situation. This policy should provide in particular for:— “1. Ensuring to the United Kingdom the carrying out of a reasonable agricultural policy. “2. Affording the Dominions the opportunity to develop, to a reasonable extent, their secondary industries. “3. Eliminating the imposition of restrictions on the importation into the United Kingdom of Dominion primary products, while foreign countries are permitted to maintain supplies on a large scale. “4. Maintaining the margins of preference now provided for in the Ottawa Agreements, subject to such alterations or modifications as may be mutually agreed upon by the Governments of the United Kingdom and of the Dominions.

“5. Maintaining by the United Kingdom and the Dominions essential foreign markets for the disposal of production which cannot be reciprocally absorbed.

“6. Generally bringing about closer co-operation in Empire trade.’’

Mr. Gibson said he moved the resolution with a reservation. Unfortunately he had not reached Wellington until Saturday or he would have opposed clause 3 in the second section of the resolution. An amendment would be moved later for the elimination of that clause, and he would vote for the amendment.

Sir Albert Alkeny (Nottingham) moved that clause 3 of the second part of the resolution be deleted, but withdrew this amendment in favour of another moved by Mr. F. H. Corke (Sydney) to substitute the following for clause 3:—*‘Minimising as far as possible the imposition of restrictions on importation into the United Kingdom of Dominion primary products. ’ ’ The last-quoted amendment was approved and the resolution as amended was carried with two dissentients. Another resolution was carried strongly recommending the Governments of Britain and the Dominions that at the time of reviewing the Ottawa trade agreements they should invite the co-operation of expert advisers, who should be representative of primary and secondary industries and of Chambers of Commerce. . A further resolution was carried strongly advocating an interchange of Ministerial visits before the bilateral agreements which had been suggested were concluded.—(P.A.)