IMPERIAL CONFERENCE 1930

Hokitika Guardian, 21 January 1931, Page 5

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE 1930

STATEMENT 0Y PKIMK MINISTER

(Per Favour of Government,)'

(Continued.)

WELLINGTON, January 20.

Two definite aspects were before the Conference, first, whether the members of the British Commonwealth should: approve the amendments recently proproposed to the Covenant of the League of Nations, having the effect of rendering war illegal under any* circumstances, and thus bringing the covenant m to conformity with the Kellogg Pact, and secondly, whether in addition to

the undertaking of the optional clause in relation to leggl questions, it would be possible to accept the pro-

visions of the general Act for the pacific settlement of . international disputes, rendering it obligatory to arbi-

tration on all questions. • The decision of the Conference was that it was in tile best interests of the Commonwealth that the amendment to

e covenant should be supported and at the “general act” should be adopted with similar resolutions, as were made in the case of the optional clause.

On the question of disarmament, die Conference considered the text of i draft disarmament convention drawn

up by the preparatory commission appointed by the League of Nations, ano it was decided to support this convention in the hope that it would ultimately lead to a reduction and limitation otf armaments throughout the world. The widespread eeonomio depression made the subject of inter-imperial com mercial relations one of paramount importance and I had high hopes that the deliberations of this Conference would have led to some practical steps being taken in the direction of safeguarding and increasing our mutual trade within the Empire,

New Zealand’s policy for many years has been to extend a tariff preference to British goods and this policy has been cordially approved by our Parliament and by the people of the Dominion, It will moreover be greatly appreciated by our kinsfolk in the Mother Country. 1 recognised that the conditions of the dominions were not on all fours with those of the-Unitert Kingdom, but in the present depression it w’os my strong view that a system of preferential duties might, with advantage, be devised to apply to the whole of the British Empire. I felt that after all it was necessary for all portions of the Empire to stand shoulder to shoulder. When all portions wer efacing conditions of grave economic crisis and whe ureal distress threatened our people, it was a coincidence and certainly more than a co-

incidence that the views that I formed were identical with the views of the Prime Ministers of other overseass dominions. We had no hesitation in expressing those views. We had been invited to attend the Imperial Conference to consider the common welfare of all portions of the commonwealth and each of us thought that a want of frankness or a failure to express what was in our minds would have fefcen a neglect of a plain duty. We expressed our views on the subject with the fullest realisation that it was for the Government of the United Kingdom and the people of the United Kingdom to decide what was best m their own interests.

1 recognised also that the British Government were committed to a fiscal policy which gave little promise of their being able to acept any solution such as we had proposed. A great deal of the time of the Conference was occupied in the consideration of this most important question and in the result, as is now well known, it was found not only that each oversea Dominion was in favour of a system of tariff protection combined with an effective preference for British goods, but also that the British Government were unable to reciprocatee. We made no complaint respecting this (Jecrreron and we turned, at the reqnst of the British Government to a consideration of various alternatives suggested by

them, namely quotas, import hoards, bulk purchase schemes, and the organisation of channels of trade. Personr' ally I had little confidence that these alternatives would in practice prove to be effective, nor did I observe any marked indication of such a confidence in any other quarter. However, together with the representatives of the other dominions, I agreed to the suggestions of a further examination of the subject at a conference to be held at Ottawa towards the end of this year. Before this latter conference meets all the dominions will no doubt have darefully (considered these proposals, and the reports of the economic committee therein and we shall be in a position to enter that conference with a fuller knowledge, which we hope may lead to some satisfactory arrangement being arrived at. Personally I am convinced that the future economic welfare of the Empire .will depend on an increased and increasing volume of inter-imperial trade, and any measure that promises to effect this will receive my hearty support. My view is that this can best be accomplished by a system of mutual preferences. 1 stressed this at the Conference and 1 regret that we were unable to come to an agreement. L must at least make it plain that where we differed, we differed as warm friends and with a ready recognition of each others difficulties. There was no question of the Dominion Prime Minister endeavouring to influence the British Government or the British people for the benefit of the Dominions. , . ....

I made it dear myself that while a preference in favour, of New Zealand goods, would undoubtedly . be ' appreciated by our Dominion, mv proposal was put forward not from the point of view of New Zealand but as an earnest endeavour to solve the. problems that were confronting the 'Commonwealth as a whole. I think that point of view was accepted by the people of the United Kingdom and by the British Government, and though it was. not possible to have any effective steps taken on this occasion, a distinct advance has nevertheless been made in. that we have the definite statement of a problem, its isolation from the general political questions of the day, and the focussing of public attention on it, prior to the meeting of the proposed .conference at Ottawa. It must not be supposed that the consideration of economic subjects by the Imperial Conference was confined to the larger question already referred to. Many other subjects of great importance in themselves were considered and discussed and in many cases peal progress was made. Amongst these the Imperial Conference considered the work of various j organisations in the United rCingdoin j such as the Imperial Shipping Com- 1 mittee, the Imperial Economic Com- | mittee, the Empire Marketing Board ! and the Imperial...lnstitute. The work of each of these bodies was approved and in some cases lines for more intensive activity in the future were laid down. I

In connection with the Empire Marketing Board ...in particular, .whose activities have done so much, to promote the sale of Empire products in the United Kingdom . considerable adjustments were .proposed by the Conference. The funds expended by this Board are provided by His Majesty?s Government in. the United Kingdom but it has now been recommended by the Conference that the limitation of expenditure to - marketing in the United Kingdom should now he removed and that the Board should be constituted with a fixed annual income with the object of furthering the sale of Empire products generally. The operations of the Board will, I am confident, prove of material assist-

ance in future to in ter-Tm penal trade, not only by reason of its advertising and publicity activity but also by reason of. the importance it attaches to scientific work and the monetary. assistance it provides for .this purpose.

On this.-occasion—:unfortunately, it was not possible to take any effective step in regard to overseas settlement. It was recognised by all that tlie most ■effective distribution of the white population of the Empire was a matter of primary importance, but that while each member of the Commonwealth hud its own problems of unemployment, it was quite out of the question to consider any large movement of population from one portion to another. The most that could be done was to record the Importance

which the Conference attached to the subject of its dependence of the question of adequate markets and the necessity for reconsideration as soon as •possible as economic conditions permitted.

At the instance of New Zealand, the question of reciprocity in old age pensions was again discussed at this Conference. The diversity of the various systems in the Empire naturally gives rise to difficulties in providing for reciprocity, and the utmost that could be done was to obtain an agreement that each portion of the Commonwealth should take power in its legislation to arrive at individual reciprocity agreements with other portions of the Empire. It was thought that reciprocity could be more rapidly obtained by individual agreements than by any comprehensive scheme. Other subjects considered and reported upon by the Conference included Imperial communications (other than transport) forestry, the International Institute of Agriculture at Rome, cotton growing, the work of Imperial organisations in the field of minerals petroleum production and refining the Empire statistics, the adequacy ot existing steamship services, double income tax release, the use of cinemato-

graph films for the education of products, the standardisation of the form oi customs invoices the free entry of books and Empire marks of origin. On all tlie.se matters special committees went carefully into the possibility of improving the present position and on some of them it was found possible to arrive at an agreement for common action.

During the conference, meetings of experts in scientific research were arranged for at which New Zealand was represented by the Secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Resea rcli. The Research Committee of the Conference was chiefly occupied in consideration of proposals for closer cooperation between the scientific and research services''in the United Kingdom and the Dominions. Among the subjects reported upon by this committee and adopted by the conference, were the mineral resources of the Empire, Imperial Agriculture Bureau. forest products, the production of oil from coal, geophysieial methods of survey, ilie preservation and transport of food and general co-operation in research. :

New Zealand was also represented at the Imperial Wool Research Conference. and at a Conference on Staiulardistaon which led to important recommendations. Tt think there is a common impression that the Imperial Conference of 15180 has been less productive of inaterial results than its predecessors. To some extent. T think it. may well he the case, though the valuable work accomplished in respect of many important subjects must not be ignored. 1 think that so much was expected, at any rate on the economic side of this Conference, that the absence of any startling or dramatic conclusion Jias led to general disappointment. Tt must he borne in mind, however, that radical changes in the policy of such a huge organisation as the British Empire, cannot he effected with safety, without lengthy and detailed consideration. I myself hoped that more might, have been done, but on the whole I think that as much was done as could reasonably be expected. That more was not achieved was not due to any lack of goodwill or to any want of effort on the part of all concerned.

| If nothing whatever of a concrete j nature had developed from the Conference T feel m.vself that it was well worth while, the advantage <>f the personal contract and discussion between the representatives of the Mother Country and the various portions of the Empire, for which it afforded the opportunity, the understanding as between man and man and Dominion and Dominion and the. good feelings and friendships thus formed have an incalculable value in themselves, in maintaining and strengthening the sentiment on which the British Empire is based.

In conclusion, I Imve pleasure' in paying a warm tribute to the val-

uable assistance rendered to me by my colleague. Sir Thomas Sido.v, who acted with me as a representative of Now Zealand at the Imperial Conference. His sound legal knowledge combined with his tact and political experience, were most valuable, not only in presenting the representations of the Dominion lo the Conference, but also in considering the many important constitutional questions which came up for discussion.

I should like also to express my warm appreciation of the services rendered by the members of the official staff of

the delegation, Mr F. I). Thomson Mr C. A. Berendsen, Dr. G. Craig Dr. F. Marsdcn and Mr C. A. Jefferv,

CIVIC RECEPTION

WELUHNGTON, January 20.

Warm endorsement, of the actions of the Prime Minister, Mr Forbes, ns

New Zealand’s representative at the Imperial Conference was the keynote of a civic reception accorded him in the Town Hall this evening, when a united welcome was accorded him on his return by a large attendance of the public:. Addresses were given by the Mayor, O. A. Troup, councillor. M. F. Leckie, Sir Francis Bell, (on behalf of His Majesty’s opposition) and 0. TI. Chapman M.P.. (on behalf of the Labour Party). In reply. Mr Forbes spoke at some length on the aspects of bis visit to the Old Country, the business of the Imperial Conference, and the present day affairs in Xew Zealand.

There was strong police guard present. A demonstration planned by the unemployed was quite ineffective; in fact no mass action at any time was apparent.

Except for a few interruptions from the rear of the hall, the meeting was peacefully conducted.

A crowd however, waited outside at the conclusion to see developments. Mr Forbes and Mrs Forbes came out. They were accompanied by a squad of police. Beyond few fniiiit handclappings, nothing occurred.