OTTAWA METHOD

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 89, 12 October 1932, Page 7

OTTAWA METHOD

ATTACKED IN CANADA

BARGAINING ALL WRONG

ME. BENNETT'S'EEPLY

United Pcess Association—By Electric TeleEraph—Copyright. . OTTAWA, 10th October. ■ The Liberal leader, Mr. Mackenzie King, brought the attack on tho Government to a climax in the House of Commons to-day by moving an amendment to the Address-in-Reply to the Speech from the Throne. The amendment reads:— Whilst reserving any expression of . view upon the merits of the agreements concluded at ,the recent Imperial Economic . Conference, th,e House is of opinion that tie tariff policies of the present Administration have, seriously injured the trade of Canada and have intensified the economic depression"; and that the Government has-wholly failed, to afford a remedy for unemployment and agricultural distress as pledged v by the Prime Minister. The House regrets that except the dole the Government * has no policy in respect to the relief of unemployment. It also-deplores tHe Government's obvious eudeayour by postponing revision of the Bank Act to avoid immediate consideration' by Parliament of the all-important subjects of banking credit and currency. THREAT TO EMPIRE. Referring to the Imperial Economic Conference, Mr. King said that 'the method of negotiation -was unfortunate. It was one of bargaining, he said, and I believe that bargaining .'on -a matter of Imperial policy is/all wrong. . The' nations of the Empire are one in kinship, race, sentiment, tradition, and allegiance to a common Crown, and methods other than thosa of bargaining should ,be adopted. The Conference was one where representatives of Empire nations met to discuss common problems. Conservative members had claimed that the Prime- Minister's position had forced Great Britain to change her fiscal policy, Mr.% King continued. If that were so, then the Empire was threatened with disruption. It .meant that one part of the Empire could die- ! tatc fiscal policy to any other part, for jif Canada took that position toward others the other Empire nations must be conceded the.right to take the same stand toward Canada. MR. KING CRITICISED. % • Beplying to the Liberal leader tonight, the Prime Minister, Mr. E. B. Bennett, criticised Mr. King for attempting to "depreciate the.effects of ■the Government's action , at the Imperial Economic Conference," and said that the Liberal leader could not disguise his spleen that a successful conference had- been held in the country. The discussions on the trade pacts negotiated at the Conference would be comprehensive, Mr. Bennett said. He promised to table them on, Wednesday, and said that if the. Opposition desired the discussion would be delayed for a day or two to prbvide time for study and meditation. Nothing that Mr. King had said showed that the Government was impotent to deal with unemployment and falling trade. Mr. Bennett declared that it was sheer partisanship to say that Canada alone ' was affected. "Psychological influences must be set to. work if the-depression is to lift," he said, and declared that. theO Government in season and cut,of season, had' done everything to restore confidence. He would tell the people of the country that, the lot of Canadians, was better than, that of any other people in. the world. ' • . .