OTTAWA PARLEY

Hokitika Guardian, 28 April 1932, Page 5

OTTAWA PARLEY

DOUBT RAISED BY LIBERAL PARTY LEADER. iUnited Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) OTTAWA, April 26. The Liberal Party Leader, Mr MacKenzie King, taking part in the Budget debate in the Canadian House of Commons, said that information had come to him that the representatives of the Canadian Manufacturers’ Association and the delegates of certain British industries luul been “dividing •up the trade between this country and Great Britain” in anticipation of the Economic Conference. In criticising the Government for refusing to divulge its Conference policies or to name the committees who were to be looking after the, arrangements, Mr MacKcume King asked how could they expect the Opposition to (.-operate if this information were refused, and it even the views of the Ministry were denied l them.

“There must be no more ‘humbug' at this Conference,” declared Mr MacKenzie King, referring to the aftermath of tiie 1930 Conference, in which Mr J, H. Thomas figured, Yet. Mr AlacKenzie King proceeded, the Canadian Government on vno evo of this gathering raised its tariff against Great Britain by increasing the excise tax on all imports. This action contrasted with Great Britain's gesture in exempting Canada, and ail other Dominions, from the tariff recently established. On the one hand, said -wr AfacKonzie King, there is bargaining, and on the other hand there are voluntary concessions.

Air MacKenzio King then expressed the opinion tliat- the Canadian Government bad “heard from Great I3riiavm that negotiations for a new Empire commercial basis could 1 not be entertained while Canada continued to manipulate its tariff overnight by Order-in-Ooifneil.

PREMIER DEFENDS POLICY,

NOT TO BE DUMPING GROUND

OTTAWA, February 26,

Defending his actions when in London at the Imperial Conference in 1930, and declaring that the late Sir Wilfred Lauricr, Canadian Premier in 1902 set a precedent for bargaining at the Imperial Conferences, the Prime Minister, Air Bennett, told the House of Commons to-night in the Budget debate that lie had followed in the footsteps of Sir "Wilfred Laurier, who, twenty-eight years before*, had imposed trade conditions on Great Britain at a similar gathering of Empire repves< vutatjvcK.

Mr Bennett dafendwl tlgy high tariff policy of his Government as being necessar,v under the present conditions, to safeguard the life blood' of his eou'itry. Canada, in the light of the world-wide industrial depression, could not afford to set an example for all Christendom and! let down its tariff barriers and thus become a dumping ground for the world. The Premier said that ho had gone to the London Conference of 1930 believing that hi® proposals would ho received exactly as they were. As to the merits of those proposals, the people of Great Britain sett’ed that, and as soon as thev had settled the matter, he had invited the Economic Conference at Ottawa. It would meet on July 21st. Therefore the purpose that he had in mind, the one ambition that he honed to realise, was about to he realised.

BIG TRADE GAINS HOPED FOR. AS OUTCOME OF CONFERENCE. LONDON. April 27. ‘‘’Commercial experts of the Dominions and Colonies are now formulating definite proposals. for the Ottawa Conference, ’’ says the “Daily Telegraph.” “There is a conviction that the Conference. will result in a big increase in the volume of trade within the Empire. British manufacturers hop© to secure some of the British business that is now in the hands of the United States. Germany and other foreign countries. Measures to encourage Dominion imports' of British iron, steel and textile manufacturers will probably figure largely in the Imperial Oeliferon'ce’i-i programme. Australia and New Zealand business men agree that the Conference will find many direction's jn which reciprocal agreements would greatly enlarge the volume of trade from one side to (he ! ol Imr, ’’