IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 August 1923, Page 4

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

MR MASSEY'S VIKM'S. AVER i.IN ('TON. August 10. Speaking on the coming imperial and Keonomic Conlerenccs at a toiiiplimeutary dinner given !>y tlie Wellington ChiunbcT of C'oininoi'ee, tlie Prime Minister said : “1 hope to got away h.v the lahiii ■•n August 28, and that I shall he able io reach Rondon in time lor the beginning of the conference. The 'lahiii is supposed to connect v.ith the Majestic, cue of the fastest ships cross-

ing ihe Atlantic. Within the last few t |.,vs 1 have had communications from iieth the Duke of Devonshire and Mr Baldwin ashing me to be present, »1 passible,' on October 2. and I am go-

ing to try. if it is possible, to get there.’’ (Applause). Everyone who had watched the position must have seen what had taken place, that England had lost very much of her trade during the past two or thiee years. Owing to the chaotic state of all.:irs on the Continent oi Europe. English commercial and I'tnnn(ial men were looking out for maikets, ; especially in the overseas dominions, to take’ the place of those they had lost. In looking in the dominions. be .thought they were dining the night thing, and v. ith a little cultivation 1 which repieseiU'.tivos of the comnter- j end and industrial classes could give j li e dominions v.ould -non da a giealci trade with Britain lhen had ever been done up t ill" picse.it by European ' countries. That v.as hi- honest upon n. Telle cur own eonairy. lie was glad ktin'.i iha I New Zealand had given other dominions belonging to the EmI ii'i* a 1 At the very last revision i f the i:n iii we Imd inereised Iron) 2.0 lo ion the number of articles mi which British Ireference was given, ami if other countries of the Einpite ii> eiproeated there would soon be a tremendous dill crenel*. Ibis Empire °i ours could piovitle the sustenance and eomlort iciiuired i y every citizen ot the diffeient eountiies of which the Empire- was made up. Imperial preference through the Customs would work wonders in time, but tbev bad to take

caie that the- sort- of thing v.as not made a pally cry. A dens-inn in favour of Jin J'e-i'i s' f preference had been ngi'ced to by 'lmperial ConfeiVnees and the War Cabinet, but very little had - dice been done at. I [nine, nothing so i ;i as tlie vs ling nations ot the Pacific

(,(.j.|. ru, d. to give effect 1" it and or,i.- j reference. - Tln-y had got to got the < | iiiiuii.- and the support of other members at the conference, and 1... I s 1 1 .. i -mu.-thing good and soill'-lhim. definite would lesult. ,»„ ii. in -1 it ut i"i,‘ I siho added Mr Ma-.ey. a very great deal leinained ; . p (llu .. Tin- f' umbilicus bad been laid, hot very much more was required before v. e got far. In regard to const i I ill Kim I ead lers. tlie feeling was I |,a I the (loci' we can Id biing tin- dif-r.-iiui uiiiries of the Empire tupi j !>•* li■ i; 1- it would be (or tae E;'.j :r ‘ ami ler e.'iidi particular couii- • ■•... |I,. .. art oi dilli: iiltv t bat had to he faced v.as shewn by tile impression i ha| hail got a-hn ad mat let au-e rc-ure-ema! :vi— of the dominions signed (be Treaty of Versailles separately. ~..i■!i 2 .iiiiiii.il l.efame to a certain exI,■ 11 j ;n in independent State, lie had never agree I v.ith that soutimem and did no, now. 1!<- said Hint that im-p-re -imi wa.s altogether wring and that in liis opinion, and lie hoped the opinion of all pre.-ent. there was no I iv. i | e o'!" in any part of the world than ihe (iti.'.mis if tlie dominions of tin- Riiiish Empiic. (Applause A We managed our own affairs, mud,.: our i.ail law-, imposed the t 'Nation that we rer| ll ii'e I. and there was practically in» interference on the part ' f the Bii-li-h (.ovei nmeiii with our doings. Ike sovereignty of the British dominionw •- ve-i ed in the King and I’ai'm-nii-nt if Bricdu. and long might it re.ic.in b'caiii-e there iiiu.-t he some lam.iMc ioi,!it".'iion. and this was tlie found-aim! < f the whole system. 'I in Con litali'.in of Britain was unwritten. Thai end', it more easily adiplahle lo el: i. ri n iin must: Ores, hut while we did ii'-i v. :• mi a written Constitution, we rid vent somethin..' in ihe way of n,. . i ret'.: i. n- thin : oul.l be placed on record, -o a., to prevent any misilo ■; -1 "liduig- ill lut cre. Iv ling with t' e iMimini,in’- doniesiiv- I oil. cm-, lie claimed that in spite ,;f tha fact that they had not had a vei'v ea-.v time this so-sieii I’arllament hid pot ikroiipd; a go.. 1 dec.l of good

and useful work. Knder i hi- State Advances Act l’arli iiiicnl had provided uiv. ,■ m.,iicy fo- fanneis. settlers and liie v. : ? i i- 1 * i - -o! ibis country. and oil ve: v i:,a, h i-iti-rms Clan had ever Civil givi'i! on any ] re. ion. or i nsioii of it w ill i".er.v lueiiiber of tile House. Then Hu- Discharged Soldiers .Settlement Amendment Aet would, he hoped cm! : ■!■;•"(■,!. have the ivsiiil of lulling many h" c * ui the soldier seitle:in:,'; s j.:.: -1 u i'll * I - and (•'-11 tell led. I’rfilicapcciiated men. 1 m n i '"ere were in i!«:u-|,, for I'cdiuthei of luxation whi.di he I bought v...iiid pass into law .. i 1 :l : -i, : no ois ,h. ili.-ii 1 t.v. 11" in,; ■■ i I l.ri lu-NI y. :r iio would be iro,. In carry ill!' i eduet ions still further, lie no' I'll to reduce im nine lax to f.i.i bad uiily 1 ecu able to reduce it to It!.!. Tile tea tax had Teen repealed at ~ c '-t oi C120.Q00 ami the amu-e----uu id n-< i-cdmed hv i l.oul £l«).0!’0. and he lioped to aholi-h il next year, hill, they had lo be careful. Us lie would Ik- verv sorry i! cuv lU'tlou i! his led to a deficit, lie did not think it would. 1 1 | tic revenue for the next eight m,mills '.vot'd ,:,i as had that of the !; | mm months. he thought they in I i h- r ile to -do.'V.' a lialume on the ri. h; side. Then on (i, toiler I v.o were

also getting bad; Lo penny postage. (Api'-l'i tco.) Sir Harold Beatiehanip: The first country lo do so. The Prime Minister: ’Tvs. He saw he raided, that the l.ntaoii “Times”’ had been saying some very kind Hungs about New Zealand on that bead, and he t bought wo deserved it. Ihe indu.— trv of the people oi New Zealand dining the past, year had been something wonderful, resulting as .it had in expo: is just a little under 47 millions up to .Time 2*l last and imports totalling £ IOKOQ.OIIO. Our credit was as go d as it was possible for that of any country to be. being r.t present ahead of that of the ITiited Kingdom. That was something particularly ficod. Me Had no reason to he discouraged, quite reverse. AVe were emerging from the depression, but we lud. got to be (■■ireful to keep exvcuditure drawn within re.-'-'enablo limits, boewro in-t P‘ : c-urelv w w-p hnnclvd out too fill' v.e would slip leek into that depression (Hoar. hear).

The “Prime Aiinistor then d-dt with questions of naval defence, including the construe Hon of a base at Singapore. on the lint's <1 his rceeit, e ( h p s . it qn.i ‘O'O. onfonm? m Ino !ion>o am. * • - ' the Icsfiou that a- our Km; ire v.a< i!,i-i 1 1 lie liv oil" sea rower it ran only le iiieuii lined bv keoi'dinj no that sea Power. The storm centre of Hi? .void 1 I," in the I’m me. I n-'.t "a- tl.c e,lint aof all who h.:d -imbed tb.ere qe- Ik ;. . therm'"",, he Web ".mod the ,i„ -i-j, I, i,- establish a naval ha.se at e. mid id o the d-risiml of the p>-;; j.,«, pm l' iment lo build two great jmi s' I!",, ell ihe stocks. The • t mg--1 ( >si r-n-inr l:i maintaining l'’ s - 4 T’ oa< * 4> (he world was the Biitisb Empire. ; ife believed that these decisions would j | i: ,vc a tremendously go<A effect ndhat j must T- prepared to bear bei I" 11 | slum- cf the cost ~r nav.d defen o. 0-1-pc"i:d!v in tlie l’acific. j Mr Mas«cy said in conclusion that he ! felt that he was taking up a groat, rej «iionf-it>ility in connect,mil witn t.'.o 1 opiej sen tat ion of the Dominion at the .Ini pel ial Conference, which was somethin? i in the nature of an Imperial ( ahii.ct, I Speaking on the general question, .«? ,„id he would do all lie possibly could j t , ( in bringing about a strong j and united Empire, making the bunds ! thel. bind tlie Empire together oven . j stronger than they are at the p:cent ' '' *' IIU