IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 October 1923, Page 2

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

AIR BRUCE’S SPEECH CREATES INTEREST. AUSTItALIAN AND N.Z. CAIILE ASSOCIATION. LONDON, Oct. l«Air B race's speech is most prominent in all the morning newspapers. It occupies six columns in the “Morning Telegraph.” Tke length and importance of tbe utterance and the farreaching nature of the proposals apparently have taken the newspapers by surprise. Some of them with-hohl comment. regarding either Air Bruce s or some ot ihe Government's proposals, notably ibe “Daily telegraph," “Dailv Chronicle” and “Daily Express.” The “Alorniug Post” deals only with tbe British proposals, and they do not go tar enough. ' Unless the proposal- are part ot a much bigger programme they will not satisfy opinion cither here or in the Empire as a whole. They are too timid a beginning of the new and hopetul polios, in which our politicians will be forced, by ci rill instances and opinion, to go a great deal further.” The “Westminster Gazette” says:---“Air Bruce disclaims any desire to overpersuade Britishers to change their tariff police against their wishes and interests. but all bis alternative suggestions would have the same effect. They would raise the price of food in tl is eontitrv.* Air Bruce brings us, at the very outset of the Conference, up against the fundamental difficulties of all Imperial preference schemes. ’1 no only large and important preferences, which we can usefully oiler, would involve an increase in the cost of living and consequent increase in the cost ot our own manufactures, which wo lid handicap us as a great exporting ration. Tbe Government’s proposals are ~ very pale ghost- of the scheme which Air Bruce obtained. In some cases they are innocuous ; in others they seem to threaten either to increase the prices of the commodities concerned, or to create a vested interest in the duties we are anxious to see reduced towards vanish-

ing point-.” . The “Daily Herald” says:— Toe Baldwin Government is a protectionist and prefcrentialist Government; that was made plain by Sir U. I.loydGreame.”

the economic conference

t’O.MAIITTF.E TO BE APPOINTED. (Received this day at 10 a.m.) LONDON. October 11. Air ,T. C. C. Davidson, addressing the journalists after the Economic Conference meeting stated that- a committee would be appointed, consisting of representatives of Britain, the Dominions, India, and the Colonies, to report upon Mr Bruce’s proposals in regard to the marketing of foodstuffs. The conference proceeded to discuss preference contracts within all of the Empire. ’Hie Hon. Neville C-iamherlain, initiated the discussion .by quoting the Biitish Government’s circular in 1919, instructing all departments to give preference to Empire tenderers for Government contracts. The Government had recently speeded up the instructions. with improved results. Afr Davidson quoted Afr Chamberlain, Sir Lloyd Graeme, and Ah- Orms- I by Gore as stating that Britain insisted on giving preference- to contracts with all Colonies and Protectorates and also arringing to participate in an expenditure of 20 million for the development ot the Colonies and Protectorates. The Government proposed to similar!-. - assist India and the Dominions by guaranteeing » part of tbe interest on loans for public utilities which were calculated to promote the development of settlement and increase the demand for British machinery and other goods. Atr L. C. M. S. Ameiy (First Lord of the Admiralty) said that the whole of the naval supplies were obtained solely from the Empire. The Admiralty also endeavoured to induce the sailors to smoke Empire-grown tobacco. but the sailors did not respond.