THE CAUSE OF EMPIRE

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXVIII, Issue 130, 27 May 1932, Page 2

THE CAUSE OF EMPIRE

Ottawa Conference ■ ■ ' THE N.Z. REPRESENTATIVES THREE PRINCIPAL MINISTERS ' The policy on which the New Zealand ! delegation to the Imperial Conference I at Ottawa will proceed indicates that New Zealand will seek preferences for more of her goods in the United Kingdom and in return will be prepared to I grant reciprocal concessions on a com- ' mcnsurate basis. The Prime Minister, • in announcing the personnel of . the New Zealand delegation last night, outi lined the points which will be taken ‘ for guidance in the deliberations at the i conference by this Dominion’s rcpre- ; sentativcs, and the factors influencing the Government’s attitude. (Per Press Association) WELLINGTON, Last Night. The Prime Minister issued the following statement: — ! “During the past few months the Government has been devoting lengthy' and careful consideration to the policy to be adopted by the Dominion at the Imperial Economic Conference at Ottawa. They are now in a position to announce the personnel of the delegation and tho general pilaciples by which they will be gun Ted.”

The delegation will consist of: — The Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes), the Bt. Hon. J. G. [ Coates (Minister of Employment i‘ and Public Works), and the Rt. Hon. W. Downie Stewart (Minister of Finance and Customs).

“The New Zealand representatives will be accompanied by the following, who will be officially attached in the capacity of advisers: —Mr D. Jones, representing the Meat Producers’ Board; Mr W. Goodfellow, representing the Dairy Produce Board; Mr H. E Napier, representing the Fruit Export Control Board and the Fruitgrow-

ers’ Federation; Sir Francis Boys, rc-

presenting the New Zealand Farmers’ Union and a representative of the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Association, who has not yet been nominated. “The expenses of these advisers, will

not of course, be borne by the Now

Zealand Government. It is possible that i other interests may wish to send rei presentatives, whose applications will ■ bo considered. “In formulating the general lines of their policy at the conference the Government necessarily has been . obliged to consider the position, as it : exists at present and the events that i have led to the meeting shortly to be i held at Ottawa. 1 The Primary Products * “This Dominion, even to a greater ? extent than the other Dominions, is • and always has been, dependent for its j prosperity upon the sale of its primary ’ products in the markets of the United i Kingdom, and with a full recognition of all that is implied by this fact, it has been the consistent policy of New Zealand to purchase requirements from abroad as far as possible chose j who buy our exports—natheiy, the I ■ people of the United Kingdom; a policy j dictated also by a general desire in this Dominion to follow deep-rooted sentiment and to trade with our own people. “The system of British preference adopted by New Zealand and also by the other Dominions has lent itself during many years to an effective direction of trade into this channel, and as a result of the preference thus afforded the people of this Dominion have become by far the largest purchasers of British goods per capita in the world. “This policy has cost the Now Zealand consumer a substantial sum of money annually, but this has invariably been cheerfully accepted not only as a good business policy—for every purchase of British goods in New Zealand has the effect of enabling the Britisher purchaser to buy New Zealand goods—but also as a reasonable and proper acknowledgment of of our own special relations with the United Kingdom. The First Step “As the first step- to this end the British Import Duties Act of this year provided for a duty of 10 per cent, on a very large number oT foreign products, and further protective measures have since been taken or remain under consideration. . ■ “It is scarcely necessary to say how warmly the Government and people of this Dominion appreciate the exception of dominion goods from the duties imposed by the Import Duties Act. They welcome the assistance that promises to be afforded to N,ew Zealand produce by the prcfcrepeeS, thus granted, in respect of which butter, cheese and fruit are our principal products

directly affected up to the present. “In discussing the attitude to be adopted at Ottawa the New Zealand Government not only considered what further preferences or other expedients might properly be asked for and properly granted to New Zealand goods., but they have also searched every appropriate direction in which, for their part, they might be increased or additional preferences to S British goods reciprocate the benefits extended or likely to be extended by the United Kingdom. “These preparations are well advanced and the New Zealand delegation hopes to be in a position at Ottawa to submit reasonable and considered proposals which, having regard to the undoubted goodwill existing between the people of this Dominion and of the United Kingdom, may well prove to their mutual benefit. Primary and Secondary Industry “In the view of the New Zealand Government the prosperity of this Dominion depends mainly upon its primary industries. It is of vital importance that these should be restored to prosperity at the earliest possible moment if wo are to avoid disaster, and any benefit to those industries must ulti-

mately react to the benefit of the whole Dominion.

At the same time they fully appreciate the growing importance and value of the Dominion’s secondary industries as an essential part of our national life.

“They look forward to practical results being achieved at the conference, but they must at the same time deprecate any undue expectations of immediate and spectacular advantages to the people of this Dominion. It will be their earnest endeavour to avoid any spirit of bargaining in the deliberations of the. conference.

“The principal aim should be in their opinion, voluntary co-operation and goodwill to secure the lasting prosperity of the British Umpire. Vs a result of the conference it is hoped that a firm basis for an increasingly

close commercial co-operation between the several members of the British Commonwealth will be established.

"It is impossible to ignore the effect of currency difficulties as an important cause of the grave reduction in the value of this Dominion’s products. The Government is of the opinion that consideration of the problems of price level, currency and banking must therefore form an important feature of th'’ Ottawa Conference, and they have taken steps with a view to having these questions included in the agenda paper. "Any decisions forthcoming from the conference as far as they, affect New Zealand will in due course be submitted to Parliament for approval.”