IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 29 October 1930, Page 6

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

SPOKESMAN’S STATEMENT

(United Fma Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright).

LONDON, October 27. The British spokesman answering journalists interrogation concerning restl§ss : 'public opinion about the Imperial Corif6r,ence’ l s progress, and fallowing Mr Forbes’ outspokenness ,saM we must be patient. We should remember the 1926 Conference mainly occupied with constitutional questions, was not concluded under six weeks. The present confernce with a huge agenda much bigger than in 1926, had import-, ant constitutional questions betsides an enormous economic agenda. Actually the work htfd progressed rapidly. A barrage of questions was hurled at the spoken*™ regarding tariffs. He admitted that questions submitted to Whitehall experts were now before the Government but had already made it clear that they were not willing to nego tiate tariffs, and accordingly the economic discussion were confined to the socalled alternative.

It is learned that the British Government has offered Australia the custody of areas in Antarctica discovered by Scott and Shackleton. This was one of many interesting statements reported ly made during the Imperial Conference Antarctica committee meeting. Netv Zealand formally claimed the lands in Antarctica between meridians 150 and 180. It stated apropos thereof that no claims in connection with the Byi<d expedition were mentioned during the meeting. Complications appear to arise in connecting the various areas in questions, because sovereignty was unestablishable without actual occupation immediately following the discoveiy and what constitutes occupation seems to be indefinite. COMMITTEES BUSY. LONDON, Oct. 27. Whether the Imperial (Conference can be got out of the way in time for the Indian Round Table Conference on ilOth November has now become a moot point. • The Imperial Conference’s many committees are now /busily drafting reports for the heads. The most important thereof will be the economic co-operation committees, which will show the Committees title to be a misonomer. An Australian member said we are going to put the British Government to a definite test, by repeating That all the Dominions are of the opinion that preferences are the need of the moment and if Mr Snowden says no, that will be the end of it. There is no doubt Britain will support the wheat quota which will lie the main, perhaps the only economic outcome oi the conference.

Though the Dominions may recommend fthe trjal application of the quota to butter, dried and fresh fruits and there will certainly he no unanimity in favour of the latter proVsition for Mr Forbes will not recede an iota from his opposition thereto, expressed during week-end interviews.

To-night Mr Forbes had a headline in tlie Beaveiibrook press ' "Forbes Kills Quota.” He said: “Well I should not mind if I did. I shall certainly strenuously opppose any attempt to apply it to New Zealand products. I am convinced it is an instalment of socialism in our time which will do more harm than good to Empire trade. Even if it is tried for wheat, I am satisfied the experiment will sdbn fail, for it will mean much interference with normal trade opeiations and create endless irritation, while as far as New Zealand products are concerned it would quickly prove unworkable. A BIG ISSUE. LONDON, Oct. 27. Another big issue of the Conference relates to the interpretation of the implementation of the report of the 1929 Conference on the operation of Dominion legislation. An interesting fact is that oniy twenty minutes u’ere devoted to a discussion of the Privy Council difficulty, centreing around the doubt that terms with the Free Stat? treaty precluded her legislating herself o»t of the,Privy Council. It is understood that other dominions were disposed to assist her to this end, because the declaration of Dominion status was held to bestow the right of each to declare there should he no appeal beyond its own High Court. That viewpoint was Mr Forbes’ plank, and the Australian Labour Party’s platform, but it is gathered Mr Scullin has not indicated any intention of immediately claiming its legislative authority. One leading delegate describes much of the Sankey Committee work as "a mere search for non-committal meaningless'(formulas. If these are fouffd ..they will make little difference to anybody, but the search continues with such zest. You would think the discovery of a harmless formula a greater thing than winning a battle. It looks as if the day will come when knighthood and peerage will he given for nothing more valuable than finding a formula.”

The Australian Press Association learns that Mr Forbes received a mild reproof from the British Cabinet members for his (frank week-end interview, but it is pointed out that while he has not receded in the least from the general views of the Conference outlook contained in interviews, a section' of the Press had magnified his declarations be yond recognition. Mr Forbes certainly did not welcome his statements being tlsed as a party weapon in south Paddington. by-election.