OTTAWA CRITICISED

Hokitika Guardian, 24 August 1932, Page 5

OTTAWA CRITICISED

BY MR HOLLAND

ATTITUDE OF LORD BLEDISLOEi

(Per Press Association — Copyright.)

WESTPORT, August 23 :

Commenting on the result of the, Ottawa Conference, Mr H. E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, said that it did not appear thit any tiling had been achieved at Ottawa that would substantially improve the economic position of the Dominion. .

It was fairly clear, said Mr Holland, that the New Zealand delegation had not gained anything like the concessions that its members sought. What had been arranged in regard to dairy produce was admittedly a temporary expedient, and the agreement regarding meat specifically provided 1 against any larger exports from New Zealand in the year 1933, than in the year 1932. Besides, the huge amount of British capita] that is invested in. South America would remain the determining factor in the matter of meat exports to Britain from that country.

However, Mr Holland stated, It might be that fuller information would place the results in a better light than appeared to be tho case from the reading of tho press messages to. date, On, the other hand, he gaid, there was the grave danger that, the established secondary 1 industries of the Dominion might be seriously jeopardised. No definite information was available, but it was clear that some sort of bargain had been struck, with a view to making it possible for British products’ to compete successfully, with New Zealand manufacturers in the New Zealand market. Such an argecmenfc would be. a tragic error. “The goods that cannot be produced here,” remarked Mr Holland, “should he admitted duty free; but to bring in goods that are produced locally in abundance, would be uneconmic and detrimental to every useful interest in the country.” Tho secondary industries' of New Zealand must he safeguarded and developed as well as the primary ones; or, otherwise, the unemployment problem would be gravely accentuated, and the whole' oonimun-, ity would suffer, The day, had gone when the people of New Zealand could be regarded solely as wool and mleat growers and butter and cheese-makers tor overseas markets. .Notwithstanding the immense importance of these Industries Ottawa had leeolved itself into a bargaining counter, mainly on a tariff-tinkering bffsts , but what Was ’wanted were reciprocal and definite trade agreements between the countries British Commonwealth. C- Of course, he said, it was inevitable , that trading relationships would be extended beyond the British Commonweath boundaries.

Referring to the comment that had been made dn the Ottawa result, Mr Holland said It was deeply regrettable to find His Excellency, Lord Bledi&Ioe, expressing a definitely one-sided opinion on this subject. He referred! parti* cularly to that portion of His Excellency’s speech,, which reach • ‘What ever demands, Britain, on her side is making for freer, admission otf her factory products in this country and will, it is hoped, when known, he considered sympathetically by the loyal inhabitants and endorsed, by Parliamentary representatives.” That, in his opinion, was an exceeding unfortunate and wholly an unconstitutional pronouncement, in as much as it amounted -to an endeavour, by Viceroyalty, to. influence the votes of Members of Parliament. It was riot a question of whether Lord BlediS'.oe’s views were sound or etherise—it was solely ' a question of whether, or not, the King’s Representative was entitled to participate in the partisan political discussions of the day. Moreover, the Sentence- quoted could be taken to imply that those who viewed the Ottawa bargain unsympathetically would not be entitled to be countied among the loyal inhabitants of New Zealand. 'Everyone Had the highest respect for I/ord Bledlsloe, both as His Majesty’s and personally, but it folowed that, if he entered the field of controversial politics, on one side or the other, he must divest himself of his Vioe-Regal capacity and assume the prerogative of a. politican. It would be unfortunate if a precedent should be established on these lines,”