IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 16 October 1930, Page 6

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

INTERESTING SPEECHES

at BANQUET TO PREMIERS

(United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.]

LONDON, October 14

With three chairmen, six toasts and eleven speeches, to-night’s banquet was easily the most formidable which the Dominion delegates to the Imperial Conference have yet faced. Sir Walter Raine (chairman of the Chambers of Commerce) presided at the centre table, which was flanked by tables at which Lord Inchcape (representing the shipping interests) and Sir James Lithgow (Federation of British Industries) presided. Sir James Lithgow said that he had gladly noted the. Hon. Mr Scu’Tin’s suggestion for consultation m business, and he would be glad to take up the matter with him. His organisation, the British Industries’ Federation, was at Mr Scullin’is disposal. The speaker added : “Tree trade, as an industrial' policy is dead!” (Cheers). He continued: “Artificial respiration will be attempted by a faithful minority, but free trade must eventually be buried.” ((Cheers.) Many people believed, said Sir Jas. Lithgow, and all hoped, that the Rt. Hon. J. H. Thomas would rise above Party and become a statesman by laying the foundation ' stone'for Empire economic unity. “This,” he said “involved food taxes.” (Cheers.) Rt. Hon. J. H. Thomas (Secretary of State for the Dominions) asked: “Why carry on the humbug and hypocrisy of assuming that all the virtue is in one party or in one section of the community. There is nothing more dangerous than the applying of quack remedies during depression. It would be unfair to suggest that 'any Dominion delegate had come to the Imperial Conference to propagate party interest.”

Lord Inchcape said that a trade recovery in Britain and in ’ Australia rested largely with the Trade Union leaders,, if they could get the trade unionists to realise that it ,was impossible to get a quart from a pint , pot except by filling twiee^.thfm, unemployment would soon he reduced. Mr Scullin, Australian Prime-Minis-ter, after urging that th&r. Empire should protect itself from lower stand*, ards than other parts of hthe world, said that the imperial; Conference table was not a bargain coupter. Aus-. tralia had offered to consult' the British industrialists about new preferences. Hg would wclcomo for dividing between the British and the Australian tanufuctt(rers-".,rthe forty-five million . . pounds worth of manufactures' that’wereMow imported from foreigners by Australia. He said that Australia gave Britain a preference of 90 per cent., and she was prepared to. look ( over the other ten per cent, also i fthey put their heads together.

Sir W. Squires (Newfoundland Premier) divided . the v world,into two classes, the lifters: and the leaners. Newfoundland, he said, wanted to help to lift the Empire.

Hon. Mr Bennett (Canadian Prime Minister) said that he preferred not to discuss the Imperial Conference questions, Jest an idle word dropped by him might cause resentment amongst some who were just as concerned with the interests of the Empire as he was 1 himself. Britain, he said, had not taken full advantage of preference. There were seven hundred branches of United States industries in Canada,,said Mr Bennett, and there were also, seventy in Britain.

Hon. .Mr Forbes, New Zealand Prime .Minister,; described Sir Jas. Ligtl.gow’s spedcjfaf, “containing much good Scottish sense.’’ Mr Forbes continued: .nomas has no need to remind us that." each Dominion Premier- in ii.*3l consider first the interests of' his own people. We want, in our own interests, to see Britain prosperous, for unless she is the Dominions would suffer.”

A few speeches carried on the banquet well to-wards midnight.

DOMINION OFFER, LONDON PRESS OPINION. LONDON, October 14. “The Times,” discussing the tariff preferences, says: Newer has there been manifest such a strong desire on the part of the Dominions to cooperate with the Mother Country. The “Daily Mail” says: “The proposals of the Dominions have not been rejected outright, but handed over to the Departments for examinations which will require weeks, or months Any other nation would have jumped at such an offer.” LIBERAL PAPER’S VIEW. LONDON, October 14. The “News-Chronicle” says: The peril of the situation is that the Dominion premiers have a totally false idea of the real balance of opinion in Britain on such a question as foodstuffs. The sooner the Government makes it plain that Britain is opposed to protection the better.