CONSERVATIVE PARTY

Hokitika Guardian, 26 June 1930, Page 1

CONSERVATIVE PARTY

TURNS DOWN LORD BE AVER BROOK.

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, June 24

Mr Baldwin, the Conservative Leader, made a pronouncement to-day regarding his Party’s policy at a meeting of about 400 Conservative* members of Parliament and candidates. The meeting had been convened in order finally to define the Conservative Party’s Empire policy, notably in regard to the question of the taxation o'f foreign foodstuffs. Mr Baldwin said' that he stood, as he had always stood, for the gross economic unity of the Empire with reciprocal preference. That policy might —and probably would—involve, before it was complete, what were known as food taxes, and there had been a division of opinion in the Party on that subject. Mr Badlwin recalled that it was Lord Beaverbrook, the newspaper proprietor, who had proposed, in order to meet this difficulty, that if such taxes should be found to he necessary, a referendum should he taken before they were adopted as a part of the Party’s policy at a general election. He had accepted that proposal, because it secured the unity of the Party, and it had another advantage in that it would procure a national, and not a party, verdict on the subject of food taxes. Lord Beaverbrook, however, had since changed his mind, and lie, and his newspapers, and his allied newspapers, were now denouncing him (Mr Baldwin) because he had not changed his mind. Mr Baldwin continued: “The referendum, as I have said, was designed primarily to achieve unity. Tf it is given up, one of two things must liapper. You either go hack to the position which existed before our adopting the referendum-—and that would not be unity in party. Tf you have a free hand, which means, in practical politics, food taxes in the platform and at an election, in which case, again, you would not have achieved unity in the party. 1 have no fresh evidence to make me alter the decision to which I came to some months ago, and that is that a polity of food taxation without a referendum at the present day would lead to our defeat at the polls. Therefore, in the light of the present circumstances, T stand where I did.”

Sir Gervais Rentoul moved an official resolution supporting ttie policy leelared by Mr Baldwin, and approving effi the retention of the referendum n the Party programme.

Colonel Gretton moved an amendment to the effect that there should be no referendum, arid that a Conservative Government should go into the Imperial Conlerence with a free band to make arrangements* with the Do-

minions. The amendment was defeated. The official resolution wa<s adopted

THE REFERENDUM

LONDON, June 25. Regarding Mr Baldwin’s stand there is but little uneasiness now remaining in regard to the referendum as a feature of the Conversative Party’s policy. Sir Robert Horne, who is very influential 1 among the Conservative ! ark-benches. voiced the hope and belief of the majority ol the Party when he said that lie did not think that the referendum would ever operate. 1

THE PRESS MAGNATES

LONDON, June 25

Commenting on the decision ol the Conservative Party the “Morning Post’ says:—“The unblushing pretention of Lord Rothormerc and Lord Beaverbrook to play the part ol political dictators lias been heavily repulsed. The cool resumption oT these newspaper magnates that they have the Conservative Party in their peeket lias received a salutary cheek.”

SUPPORT OK POPULAR YOTK

LONDON, June 21

51 r Stanley Baldwin expounded the policy of Umpire Free 'trade at a gathering df four hundred Conservative members of the House of Commons and Conservative Candidates at Paxton Hall. He made a vigorous (editing speeb in which he stressed the fact that the Conservative Party would face a crisis il it did not make up its mind definitely to work for the closest economic unity in the Empire.