BRITISH POLITICS

Hokitika Guardian, 24 November 1932, Page 8

BRITISH POLITICS

MR BALDWIN’S SPEECH

SUPPORT OR NEW ALLIES

LONDON, October 11. Mr Stanley Baldwin had a hearty reception when he. addressed the delegates attending the Conference cf the National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations ,at Blackpool. He.extended what is interpreted as an invitation ,to. the. Simon- Liberals to join -the Party,' “Those who support the,.. Ottawa Bill right through,’’..he said, “must not . suffer jat .tlie ;j We see «ot\ f oi?|psed, 'Uut that ■ffhfci.iap ‘,%WPO*Mr-hJ r J ...; I" Referring to the Liberal Alinisteis who resigned, Mr. Baldwin sajd “With-these Liberals it. was a certain logical, loyalty to an obsolescent doctrine that compelled them to resign, It was the late Lord Roseberry who ep. ; d that the commonest error in politics was sticking to the carcases oi dead pohoies, . I .think that is the affliction, from which my Liberal friends suffer. We admitted Protection pot as a principle but as an ex- ■ perimpnt. . We have; never worshipper it. ..With our eyes open we took even ■ step to safeguard that policy from what We know to. be the. dangers associated with it. If it. fails I. do not see, cur Party sticking to the carcases of dead policies.,”; r., ... •• Mr Baldwin continued that the Liberals seemed to have exaggerated one. issue alone out of a, score. In a quiet. voice he added:—-“I do wisl that the narrow pedantic .school would give dp cnce and for ah worshipping Free Trades as principle bobh :irn* rrrculate and immutable. For nr economic doctrine is either, or can be, of. ever will he. By tho. next election,” -he added, ‘'Free Trade would, be dead. The country had only ope^lfsire—to see jthe Government gel on with its job. NOT PARTY POLITICS.

“As Lender of ’this great. Party,” he continued,. “I cannot take in silence the charge that we have beep enforcing pur party policy pn the Government.; ..Tariffs, the expansion of experts, the contraction of, imports commercial treaties, and mutual economic : arrangements. with the Dominions have, not be in- since the. election, party politics.

i r ‘W ! e- have been with imporilling the Imperial future of the Commonwealth of .Nations as a result of. the. Ottawa Conferene. What were we to do? Refuse to attend, or attend and refuse' to make any agreements 9 Tlmse who supported the Ottawa Bill right through must not be ; thrown to the wolves. I regret nothing that took place at Ottawa. (Cheers.)- I rejoice tp think we have accomplished far more than I hoped. So lqng as had an .open market in tfle world,!’- said Mr Baldwin, “not a sipgle country would, pay the slightest attention to us. The National Gov- * eminent decided to tackle the problem :in a pew .yay. That weapon brought tljo ..representatives of many foreign ’ nations to. discuss what agreements they could make with us, and we ; are going to make them.” INDUSTRIAL POSITION.

'Referring to the industrial position, Mr Baldwin said it was less satisfactory, but there were signs of hope. In. the great textile industries of : cotton, wool and .silk, there was ' statistical proof that things were better. There was a continuing tendency for foreigners to set up factories in this country- World-- commodity prices were rising, and industries of all ; kinds were feeling the . benefits from tariffs, b do not put it any higher ' than this—there -is evidence that so far the great experiment upon which we have embarked is beginning to justify itself.” {Cheers.) “And now,”' Mr Baldwin added, “it i s up t» tl>e people of the country, governments cannpt do everything. ise have made a. series of helpful agreements pfc < Ottawa, but .they, will be of no. use unless business men have the cqurage and initiative tq take advantage of. the opportunities offered 'by them. It is up,to. them-”