MR COATES GOING

Hokitika Guardian, 16 June 1932, Page 5

MR COATES GOING

'} OTTA WA MEETING MR FORBES’ ANNOUNCEMENT. ■A (By Telegraph—Per Frets Associationi . WELLINGTON, June 15. ' A< A reshuffling of Cabinet portfolios, which will b e made neceteary by the absence at th e Imperial' Economic Conference at Ottawa of Mr Coates •and Mr Stewart, was discussed by the (■ ' Prime Minister on his> return from I * Christchurch to-day.

Mr Forbes said that lie would take over the portfolios of Finance and Customs from Mr Stewart. Tho Attor-ney-Generalship, which was al o held by Mr Stewart; would probably be administered in his absence by fc':e Minister of Native Affairs, Sir Apixana INgata, although this question had not been discussed.

The Employment portfolio, he sa : d, would be taken over during Mr Coates’ Absence by the Postmaster-General and Minister of Labour, Mr Hami’ton. The Departmental control of the Labour and Employment Departments has now been vested in one head, and as it is intended to flee the organisation of the Labour Department to assist ill Unemployment relief administrat'd)!, the temporary assumption of th e Employment Ministry will be made easier for 1 Mr 'Hamilton. I Questioned concerning the personnel of the Ottawa deputation, tSh e Prime) .Minister said he thought Mr Coates Would go to Ottawa, although he knew he was considering the question. AUSTRALIAN EXPRESSIONS. ■SYDNEY, June 15. The Minister of Customs (Mr Collett) one of Australia’s delegates to (Ottawa, an a fore well speech, expressed the belief that substantial benefits would come to Australia from that conference, but success would rot come if the -decisions injured sections of the- Empire. He considered it impossible to expect any benefit ■in regard to wheat. The porition in regard to meat was sUgj’itly better <x while the prospects were bright for other products. He was not going to Ottawa, with a plan for writing the tariff up and down. The Commonwealth Government was resolute in ■regard to that aspect of policy.

AUSTRALIA’S EXCHANGE

PREMIUM MAY DISAPPEAR. LONDON, Jun e 15. The Australian Prete • learns that ...^though, elaborate schemes ’• have l been Worked but ill the preparation of Australia.** tape fbr Presentation of the Ottawa Ofjnfetellce, there is a dangar of the whole preparatory work being nhlnately rendered use’m, Many sets of figures have been carefully worked out, envisaging the impositions by Britain of various duties on different commodities of foreign 'Origin in the interests of the primary producers of Australia, and the ottrr Dominions, whose products will b° admitted to Britain free, in return for increasing preferences to certain •British manufactures in the Domi?l- - ions, but it understood that ’ ' out all the calculations. on Australia’s behaJf, it has apparently been .assumed that the present twenty-five per cent, exchange between Britain and Australia would continue indefinitely. Ever since it operated, this exchange has had the effect of giving the Australian producers a bonus of twentyfive per cent, on the exports above the low world prices of the commodifies which -have prevailed in recent months. If the Ottawa Conference were to adopt an Empire sterling currency, as advocated in many influential quarters, the exchange would disappear. In such an event, the Australian produced might be landed in an even worse plight Dhan they are at present. They might possibly, for example, receive a ten per cent, or a 12$ or even IS per cent, advantage, as against foreign producers, and yet lose on the deal through the diseppear- , ance of the present exchange.

IRISH STATE DELEGATION. RUGBY, June 14. Arrangements were completed to-day for the representation of the Irish -Free State at the Ottawa Conference, and provide that Mr De Valera wl l head the delegation, accompanied by Mr Lemass, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Mr Ryan, Minister of Lands and Fisheries, and probably Senator Connolly and Senator Johnson, t i; ie , last representing Labour.