OTTAWA MEETING

Hokitika Guardian, 12 August 1932, Page 5

OTTAWA MEETING

FRUIT TRADE . SUBJECT FULLY DISCUSSED. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) '• OTTAWA, August 10. The Canadian Horticultural Council gave a luncheon to the Empire Fruit .experts and never before wao there such a representative gathering Empire producers, and so. .unique an. opportunity of comparing notes' to mutual’*’advantage. Mr Osborne Mills (Austrdtli'i) .and Mr Napier Hamilton, ,l (New Zealand), were among those, pre‘bent. .Subjects which have been under consideration by various Einpire fruit interests were discussed. The first was -that of paying fruit growers bonuses on their .exports of fruit; secondly there wag the artific al advantage of the exchange to some sections of the Empire; .thirdly, the. advisability of uniform packages; fourth, the desirability of adopting an Empire trade mark; fifth, the. development of trade between various sections 7 of the Empire; sixth, co-opera-tion in advertising. If was suggested that the creation of an Empire Fruit Federation would be of considerable advantage in furthering these ohjeots, A sub-committee was form'd, with instructions to consider how much a federation could be brought into being., It was 'suggested that an \ pire Couferenae he held in Uri-fi

some Dominion capital. It was men-tioned-that, Australia had already approached the Dominions with a view to holding the first conference in; the Commonwealth. Therefore, if . the suggestion is approved a conference will probably be held at Melbourne.

REVIVAL OF PROFITEERING. DRAWBACK TO BRITISH TRADE. ’ OTTAWA, August 10. Mr Hogjuni, ex-Premier of Victoria. who is on a visit to Ottawa, in an interview,' said that he has, while, in London, been making investigations These have convinced him that the revival of .profiteering was one cf the principal]! causes. of the British people’s ‘present inability .to buy our. goods.■ r ' ■ ■ Illustrating this contention, Dir Hog-; an pointed out that the British dis.tributors and traders were making larger- profits now than ieryer, previously. 'The cost of living in Britain was 43 per cent, higher now than before the war, although wholesale prices. of commodities in, Britain, were 7 per cent, .lower than (hefqre the war, thus showing a margin of fifty per- cent, profit. ; ' * ’• i ;, . Mir Hogan .stated that the Australian producers are selling in Britain their wheat 33 ipor cent.: lower than they did in July, 1914, their butter 8.7 peacent, lower ; their mutton 23 per cent lowieir; their lamb 11 per cent.' lower ; their apples, 52 per pent, lower;. and their wool 12.42 pair pant., lower; than In July, 1914, but the consumers were not getting the benefit of this fal] in prices, 'y ■ ,

* Mr Hogan stated that in • the seven years, .1922-29, Australian imports from and interest payments to Britain' were ■303 million sterling; more than Australia received for her exports to Britain, He added that the British bondholders made no sacrifice to help Australia. A reduction of the. interest charges payable to Britain was necessary to Aus-' tralia, .also a, drastic s reduction in the. distributors’ and retailers’ profits. These were econorrv’c nece'asities to both Britain and Australia, in order to increase the consumption and make trade flourish again replacing the present condition of economic stagnnt’on, which the Ottawa Conference was striving to' relieve.

ANGLO-CANADIAN - DEADLOCK; PROMINENCE .IN THE PRESS'. OTTAWA, August 10. The 'Conservative- “Montreal Gazette,” in an editorial, headed “Grave Deadlock at Ottawa,” says: “The impasse is attributed largely to Mr Bennett’s disposition to run the Canadian Government as a one-man show and his endeavouring to apply the same methods to the conference ais ho followed in .the conduct of domestic affairs. The situation is anxious and unless remedied, the conference will dW with the two Empire units mostly concerned, namely Canada and Britain sharing only in its lesser achievements. 'So far as the other Dominions and Colonies are concerned, negotiations are sufficiently advanced to ensure a suco/.ssf u;[ issue. Canada now, stands more than ever, at the parting of •.thejjvvmys.’.j,, It is officially announced that as a -nqpu.lt of the ,(Canadian Cabinet’s review of th°i reciprocal proposals, today’s negotiations with th'ji British experts are progvees'ng satisfactorily. There, is a real desire, 'on; both sides to fifing about something definite, and it, is confidently anticipated that the wide' gap will he Iriflgeld and an agreemart achieved, with minimum delay. It is suggested. that serious discrepancies between' the- British -and Omdiau figures were due to the Met that the statisticians worked on different years. It pointed out, for,/example, that Canada! s 1931 imports, 500,000.009 dollars, compared with 1930 imports of 8 r 0,090.000. # ' Both parties hare abandoned, apparently the unsatisfactory method of attempting to revaluate the respective

figures; and are now discussing iW by item and exploring the whole position. It is unlikely that Canada- will reply to Britain’s memorandum, hut the des red result is expected to be achieved through ’the experts’ discussions. The committee on commercial relations with foreign countr.es met for the firtett time, and .elected Mr Havenga as Chairman, and appointed a sub-committee for detailed examination, firstly,- the relation of interImperioil preferences to- -trado with foreign countries. Secondly, .interpretation of the most favoured nation, clauses, particularly with rference to tho development of regional spr ■ fereinces and systems of import quotaa.

“A ’SAD DISILLUSIONMENT.” - •Sj.:! • • (Received this day at 9.25 a.m) LONDON, August 11. The “Manchester Guardian’’ in a leader say,: Ottawa is a sad disillusionment to those who to’k the opening speeches seriously. Britain h"s been -driven into "• I '"" l "vteri">g spirit --'■ip fc fi.er -will, tmpoi-iat eentirnerefc all very wel , hot, i-t dor-, ro'-. transcendeconomic in'crests. It is impossible to reconcile pi iter-tionism and economic nationalism -with freer world trade..