IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

Waikato Times, Volume 108, Issue 18158, 24 October 1930, Page 7

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

ECONOMIC PROBLEMS. COMMITTEE PREPARING REPORT. WHAT WILL CMB SNOWDEN SAY?, United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright (Received Oct. 24, 11.50 a.m,) LONDON, Oct, 23. To-morrow the General Economic Committee will begin drafting a new parable of the loaves and fishes, after which the question will be: “ What will Mr Snowden Say to it?” A count of heads seems to suggest that the wheat quota is an odds-on certainty, with administration through the British millers, and that there will be a difficulty in carrying through the bulk purchases proposition even though Australia claims to have made a good case for ’ its application to canned and dried fruits; that there is an even money chance of retaining the existing preference under which Mr Snowden would not be violating his own political conscience since preferences are a creation of his predecessor, and that the general question of will be side-tracked by the creation of an economic secretariat to ensure better inter-Imperial liaison.

OVERSEAS SETTLEMENT.

MIGRATION PROBLEM REVIEWED. United Press Assn.— mec. Tel. Copyright, (Received October 24, 9.40 a.m;) LONDON, October 23. At the first meeting of the Imperial Conference Overseas Settlement Committee, Mr. Moloney (Australia) presiding, the British, the Dominions’ and the Southern Rhodesia delegates reviewed migration in > relation to the present economic depression, and appointed a number of sub-committees. It was realised that it was useless spending money in sending out migrants when there were no markers for their produce. Statistics 'submitted to the Overseas Settlement Committee made dismal reading. Whereas, in 1927, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, respectively, absorbed 29,136, .4,446 and 27,113. Briton’s figures lor the six months ended June 30, shrunk respectively to 4,228, 1,505 and 21;983. Canada would have registered the same sharp fall but for 13,970 taking advantage of her special £lO fare.

DOMINIONS’ COMPLAINT.

MARKETING BOARD’S LAXITY. BULK PURCHASE PLAN DOOMED. united Press Assn. —Elec. Tel. Copyright, (Received October 24, 12.40 p.m.) LONDON, Ootober 23. There seems to be an agreement that there is no need for the Marketing Board and the Imperial Economio Committee to continue- separate existences, and that it would be better if they were merged in a secretariat. There also is agreement that full use is not being made of the Marketing Board’s opportunities. For example, the wheat-growing Dominions complain that the board should have warned them of the Russians’ fiveyear grain campaign before the Dominions adopted “the grow more wheat” slogan. It- is obvious that the idea of bulk purchase is doomed to fail on Britain’s hesitancy to create a new controlling department. For instance, even should there be a Butter Import Board it would have to rely on private traders to carry out distribution. Furthermore, it is recognised that the Southern Dominions would have difficulty in maintaining an all year round supply, which even then would not meet ‘Britain’s requiritions. There is a feeling that the wheat, and meat situation might bd eased a little by the almost certain impending pigeon-holeing of the unratifled d’Aberdon Argentine trading agreement, though in respect to meat it is admitted that Australia and New Zealand ' with frozen meat _ have little chance of shaking the grip gained by the Argentine’s chilled meat.

A BREATHING SPACE. NAVAL TREATY RATIFICATION. United Press Assn. —Elec. Tel. Copyright (Received Oct. 24, noon.) LONDON, Oct. 23. Mr J. H. Scullin (Australia) while the heads are not meeting, IS utilising the breathing space for scores of interviews, including an hour with Mr Ramsay MacDonald on a general retrospect of the conference. Mr Scullin and Mr Forbes on Monday were participants in the ceremonial of depositing ratifications of the London Naval Treaty. Mr Brennan (Canada) is daily occupied with the committee which is seeking to find common ground for Dominion legislative constitutional rights in which connection skilful wording will he needed to meet the whims of at least two Dominions.