Empire Problems

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 425, 17 November 1930, Page 7

Empire Problems

THE RECENT CONFERENCE VEXED TARIFF QUESTION [By Telegraph—Press’ Association —Copyright.] Received Nov. 16, 9.10 p.m. LONDON, Nov. 15. The Secretary of State for the Dominions, Mr J. H. Thomas, summarises the work of the Imperial Conference, which he said was faced with difficulties in. giving legislative effect to the declaration of 1926 regarding equality of status. He emphasised the danger in trying to write a constitution and expressed the opinion they had overcome the problems on- the Statute of Westminster, which would be shortly submitted to Parliament to give effect to the conference’s decisions.

Mr Thomas praised the voluntary agreement upon an Empire tribunal to deal with inter-Dominion disputes. “We are now a Dominion, too,” he declared. He expressed the opinion that 1930 had brought a tremendous step forward in the remarkable development of co-equal partnership. Dealing with economic issues, he mentioned the first clash of opinion when the Dominions pressed for a tariff preferences as the best fillip to inter-Empire rade. The United Kingdom replied thereto, stating that mutual advantages were to be obtained by other means. For the first time the Labour Party, through the Government, had declared that preferences had been of mutual advantage to all parts of the Empire, and to meet the Dominions’ anxiety and uncertainty over the existing preferences he declared that they would remain in force for a further three years, unless altered by mutual agreement at a further conference. Some Dominions immediately responded by undertaking to do the same.

Mr Thomas mentioned the wider basing of an economic committee to carry out a continuous examination of Empire trade problems. He also indicated that the Dominions would be invited to contribute to the cost of the wider activities of the Marketing Board, at the same time pushing the sale of British goods in their country.

The Prime Minister (Mr Ramsay MacDonald) looked in at a gathering of 100 journalists to say “Thank you” for the friendly and discreet handling of the Impcrail Conference publicity. Views of the Press.

The London Times says: “The failure of the conference to achieve any concrete result is primarily due to the fact that the Government drifted into it without any clear policy and without anything like the preparation needed.” The Daily Express says: “The humiliation of this wasted conference is the last victory of the free importers. It is only a matter of months when the country will sweep them aside with anger and contempt.”

The News-Chronicle says: “There was never the faintest chance that the Government would acquiesce in the principle of taxing food or raw materials, and thus commit the nation to a disastrous fiscal revolution.”

“NULLITY AND DEFERMENT.” Received Nc . 17, 1 a.m. LONDON, Nov. 16. The Sunday Times says: “The Conference broke up in an atmosphere of defeat and disappointment. Its record is one of nulity and of deferment. This Government must certainly go down in history as the most incompetent in a century. ’ ’