IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 14 November 1930, Page 5

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

HIGH COMMISSIONER’S STATUS

,United Press Association —By Electric

Telegraph.—Copyright.)

(Received this day at 11 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 13

The status of Dominion High Commissioners in London, as the outcome of the Imperial Conference, henceforth will be slightly moved up in precedence. They have hitherto followed immediately British. members of Cabinet, but in future will precede junior British members of Cabinet following. only the Lord Chancellor and Secretaries of State, 1 lie precedence of British High ,Commissioners in the Dominions shall be decided between His Majesty’s Government and the Dominion concerned. LONDON, Nov. 13. The heads of delegations met at 9.30 this morning to discuss tile economic aspects of inter Imperial relations report. 'l'ney disposed ol it for submission to the Plenary Session but the Conference has still not come to a decision/and tho report does not contain recommendations. It will he necessary for the’meeting to continue throughout the attornoon. Jhe delegates will reassmble at two this afternoon. It is still uncertain whether the final Plenary Session will bo held to-morrow.

MR SNOWDEN RELENTS

IMPERIAL PREFERENCES

LONDON, Nov. 13

The Imperial Conference proved that thirteen is not unlucky since at the last moment it was rescued irom the prospect of aboslut© economic barrenness and the seemingly impossible was achieved in that Mr Snowden has been persuaded to forget his Commons threat to repeal the existing preferences.

The announcement will probably be made to-morrow, that preferences on Australian, wine, sugar, and dried fruits will be retained.

It is understood that Mr Scull in is largely responsible for breaking the deadlock by a dramatic telling speech in which lie changed the whole atmosphere of the Conference, and brought a realisation of how much the revelation of unity of Empire is needed in the present troubled state ofyworld affairs.

All the guns were trained on the grim Mr Snowden and once his firmness was shaken, all thoughts of attending Mr Bennett’s tea party at Mayfair Hotel were abandoned. Mr Bennett alone went to fulfil his role as host.

Late to-night, persistence triumphed and a guarantee will most likely be forthcoming that the preferences will remain for three years, with a parallel declaration from the Dominions of their policy towards Britain.

It is quite on the cards that the Plenary Conference’s communique will indicate the Imperial economic committee in an atmosphere, free from politics, will immediately begin a further examination of trading possibilities and survey of all Empire products, on which a report will be submitted to a special Economic Conference at Ottawa, within twelve months.

LONDON, Nov. 13

Mr Snowden’s political purism will be tactfully safeguarded in the British postscript to the general conference report setting out the present ministry’s policy against taxation of foodstuffs.