OTTAWA AGREEMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 20 October 1932, Page 5

OTTAWA AGREEMENT

BRITISH COMMONS DISCUSSIONS IN THE HOUSE. (United Prey j Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright./ LONDON, October 18. In the Hou-.e of Commons, the Chancellor (Mr Chamberlain) prefaced a statement on the Ottawa agreements % by declaring that if success of the VOttawa Conference resulted in increased prosperity for the united British Empire, that was th e largest contribution which the Empire could make towards the restoration of the prosperity of the world. The Conference resulted in la better understanding by different members of the Empire of one another’s difficulties. A new departure was that for the first time the whole Colonial Empire had been brought into negotiation. The United Kingdom’s, policy was first to help their own home market, and secondly to give an expanding share of the import market to the Dominoins. He believed they had laid at Ottawa the foundation for real Imperial agricultural association. After Mr Chamberlain, had explained that Canada and Australia had undertaken to allow British manufacturers a fair competitive; chance ' by referring ths application of these principles to imperial tariff boards, Mr Lansbury .(Labour) asked would Britain be represented thereon. Mr Chamberlain replied that was an extraordinary question. He did not think that any one would suggest a representatvie of another country should act on the tariff hoard to decide what tariffs to impose. British interests, however, had been assured an opportunity of presenting their case. s The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Hco. Lansbury, referring to the Ottawa Conference, said the Dominions had obviously driven a bargain giving them a tremendous gain without Britain gaining anything. It was ' not apparent from the Chancellor's speech, how Ottawa was going to produce employment in Britain. For instanoe, if she bought timber from Canada instead of Russia, with the consequent transfer of some export .trade, it simply meant they were like a house wife, who changed her tradesman. The electors gave the Government a doctor’s mandate, but not a mandate for fiscal quackery. British agriculture would not be assisted 1 by the Ottawa which would bring neither prosperity and contentment to anyone in. Britain.. “We enter 1 tho ‘World Economic Conference prejudiced and Jiindered by these arrangements. Any 1 chance we ought to have possessed of producing international co-operation is practically lost, Happenings in the Canadian and! Australian Parliaments showed considerable 'opposition to- * wards the Ottawa proposal*/’ he said, MR MACDONALD’S DEFENCE.

OF NEW OTTAWA TARIFFS. LONDON, October 19. In Parliament, Mr R.. MacDonald, Replying to the Debate, claimed that ' no single pledge given by any responsible members of the Government during the general election had been ■broken by the Ottawa .agreement. ,He said: There were definite references to the possibility of a tariff in the \ National Government’s election addresses, and after that faming, Sir Herbert Samuel accepted opr support of the delegates to Ottawa, charged with the duty of coming to an.agreement with the Dominions, and not letting the Conference break down. All that- we have done is..to put up the stiffest fight possible.in order that the tariffs should be as advantageous as possible to this country. (Cheers). Mr MacDonald! added: “As for Sir Herbert Samuel’s constitutional point, w]-»at would have been the use in going to the Dominions and saying, fpr example, ‘we, would like to develop, your fruit trade. We guarantee you six months’ continuous duty.’ ... It would have been a farce. If wo put our hands to this sort of legislation, we must do it in such a way that .the' effect wanted could be realised.” He was personally, prep,.red', he said, to change the method to-morrow, if time proved that certain cherished Constitutional practices were out of . date. The delegates at Ottawa had come to agreements which would undoubtedly expand trade throughout the Empire. He appealed to the House to 'carry out these agreements in a most "generous spirit, and l appealed to the Dominions to show the same spirit in .Applying the agreements to their own position.

BRITISH TRADE WITH RUSSIA. NEW UNDERSTANDING .DESIRED. RUGBY, October 18. When Parliament reassembled this afternoon. liTr Thomas announced the denunciation by the United Kirgdom Government of the temporay commercial agreement with Russia, signed in London, or April 16th., 193 C. Mr Thomas gtat d that the Government Tpcr.rrnised the importance of maintaining the effectiveness of the Ottawa preferences again, at State acjiipp, ,by anv foreign country,, which' might stultify the intentions of the preferences. This principle was acknowledged in Article 20, in the agreement with Canada. It necessitated the

Government being in a position to discriminate by prohibition against the import of commodities from any, such country. This stipulation rendered necessary the decision regarding the temporary commercial agreement with the Soviet. The Government Note addressed to the Soviet Charge d’Affaires gave notice of denunciation at’six months’ date in accordance with the terms of the agreement, He added that the Government remained anxious for furtherance of trade with Soviet Russia, and! was prepared to discuss the proposition at the earliest moment.

TARIFF CONVERSATIONS. LONDON, October 18. Britain has invited Denmark, Norway and Sweden to open tariff conversations. At London conversations with Argentine are also continuing. INDIGNATION IN AUSTRALIA. The indignation against the reduction of the duty on Fiji bananas bias reached fever heat in Northern New South Wales and in Queensland. Protests have been made by the growers and the marketing organisations to the Federal and State Parliaments.

PRAISE FOR MR MACDONALD. (Received tin's day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, October 19. The gallery clitics warmly praise Mr MacDonald’s animated rejoinder to the Labourites and Samuelites. The House gave him a remarkabl e ovation led by Sir John Simon, the Government supporters rising and cheering as Mr Stanley Baldwin patted Mr MacDonald on the back.

RUSSIAN AGREEMENT DENOUNCED CAUSES FEELING IN FRANCE. (Received this dnv nt 9-26 n.nD LONDON, October 19. The “Guardian’s” Berlin correspondent says that the British denunciation of the Russian agreement appears to be madness, and will'strengthen the hand of the Red terrorists against tho moderates seeking a rapprochement with the outside world. Tho French consider that Britain’s decision will lead 'a wave of antiSoviet agitation, hampering V. Harriot's efforts to establish better Fran coRussian relations, and diverting Russian trade to Germany.