INTERNATIONAL PROBLEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 10 September 1931, Page 3

INTERNATIONAL PROBLEMS

COMMERCIAL ASPECTS. EEU FOR .HELP FROM MEN IX BUSINESS. • The international questions which Parliament has to deal with and the need for business men to express their views upon jtheni were explained ll :‘by the Hon. Sir James Alim, M.L.C., Minister of ■ Defence during the war period, in replying to the 'toast of Parliament at the annual dinner oi the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce recently. Sir James said that it would bo of extreme value to Parliament to keep the Chamber of Commerce as alive as it has been during The past two years. The chamber’s economic bulletins had been of great value. He tended his own thanks to Professor A. H. Tocker and his assistant, Air G. Lawn, for their work in connection with their preparation. Members of Parliament could not confine themsilves to their own countries in their work, continued Sir James. In the development of national and international growth, problems were conotantlv arising and it.‘ was the duty ot •the members of the Chamber of Commerce to assist Parliament to solve questions which did so arise.

1 “Although' peacte ' is 1 ” not" assured throughout the world, I think I may •justly claim that the League of Xntio: s •has, in some very well-known instances, prevented outbreaks of war,’’ added the speaker. <c We are face to face with this great question of international relationships and we would be a very mean country if we did not try td assist in solving them.’’ GENEVA AND PARIS. The work of the International ball our Office at Geneva was mention d by Sir James, 'who said that 'the conventions of this office should come before the members of the Chamber of Commerce. Members of Parliament should know what the 'chamber .thought of them. The speaker also dealt : wi h the work of the Court of International Justice at The Ilague and the InV-i----tute of Intellectual Co-operation at Paris. The work of the Court of International Justice' should be of great interest to 'the business' commuiii’y and they should have'* no Heed'that the court had decided that the Austro-Ger-man Customs.union should be dissoh'.efi.. That decision was reached by eight votes to seven, a very narrow margin. They would realise what a decision on such' a margin could mean in Europe. Another organisation that was 'of moment to chambers of commerce was the Institute of Pacific Relations. The results attained by this organisation had been extraordinary, enabling dele-, gates to see the view points of one another. The International Brussels Conference of 1920, which dealt with financial principles, was of great interest, to members of the Chamber:* Had its recommendations been adopted, said ISir James, much of the subsequent troubles would have been avoided. . Sir James dealt with .the work. .of the International Bank at Basle, in Switzerland. The formation of an international agricultural mortgage credit company was also touched upon, Sir James saying that this .step indicated the actions that were being taken to care for the peasant farmers of other countries. Tariffs had increased almost everywhere since 1927, continued Sir James. Although an international feeling had grown in the last few years, national feelings had grown also, and was instanced by the application of the Monroe Doctrine and the running of the Mat-son line of ships between America and New Zealand in competition I with a line of ships owned, by ,Se,w Zealanders and Canadians.