BRITISH POLITICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 November 1931, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

(United Press Association.—By Electric

Telegraph.—Copyright.)

LONDON, November 16

'ln the House of Commons, Mr Leo pold Avery (Conservative) said tha customs tariffs must be the founds,tior of the Government’s' task. He claimet that a mandate had been given foj tariffs and said that it demandet prompt action. The economic sTiuatioi was still very serious, and if the Government suspended action till February, a crash might conn! in the interval. . The postponement of an Imperial Economic Conference was only justifiable if Parliament immediately decided what duties it would adopt, and what offers it could make to the Dominions. ’Negotiations, he said, should be opened before December 31st, in order that agreements might be ready for confirmation by the Imperial Economic Conference at Ottawa. If Mr Thomas toured the Dominions without any plan, he would'' be told that his journey was useless. The Dominions did .not want any more-talk and any more ’'‘hot air.” If there was going to -be an emergency rtariff, it would be better to have it in December than in February. * , Mr H. L. Boyce (Conservative, Gloucester) said that Mr Amery, and not Mr J. H. Thomas, should have been chosen to represent- the Government at the Imperial Economic Conference. It was a mistake to delay that conference until July, -The majority of the Dominions wanted it . early in the new year, So did the' members of the House of .'Commons. Personally, he could not help feeling that this delay was not unconnected with Mr J. H, Thomas’s desire to make a Visit ;to the Dominions. What was the object of his tour ? 'asked 'Mr Boyce. The House should have the assurance that any appeal that. Mr Thomas was going .to make to the Dominions was different from that which was made to the Dominions’ Ministers when they were here in London. AT ONE. GULP. - - RIGID TARIFF POLICY SWALLOWED. LONDON, November 17. The 'Conservatives and many of the Liberals commend Rt. Hon. W. Rurici- ’ man’s speech '(on the new duties), and the proposals, though some of the i ISamuelite-Liberals are glum. There is disappointment that agriculture has been left till later in the matter .and also that canned and pre-' served foodstuffs are not to be included in the dutiable articles. This exhausts criticism heard in the lobby. The speech satisfied even the critical Sir Henry Page Croft,,, (Conservative), who said that it was evident that the Cabinet was impressed by the urgency of the problem. The Governments powers will apply to the whole range of manufactured and mainly-manufactured imports, including; the Part Three of the Board of Trade Monthly (Returns, representing ' between 200 and 300 million , sterling worth, of imports annually during the present year, The value of these imports to the end of October was 215 millions. ; The Conservative press cordially welcomed the proposals