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Hokitika Guardian, 8 April 1933, Page 4

Tx a recent speech, Mr Neville Chamberlain, Chancellor of the British Exchequer, referred to a resolution which had been passed by the Federation of British Industries and the Trades Union Council expressing the hope that a decision at Ottawa- would be made such as to facilitate international action to prevent a further fall in wholesale prices and to bring about a recovery. He said that at Ottawa they spent a great deal of time discussing that very problem, and he desired to pay his tribute to the broadminded and statesmanlike spirit in which the matter was treated by Mr Bruce, as representing Australia, and Mr Coates, the New Zealand representative. It was recognised that many of the factors which had to he taken into account in considering the possibility of raising wholesale prices could only be controlled by international action, but there was one direction in which it seemed that they had an opportunity of making a start at Ottawa, and that was in regard to the case of meat. “T notice sometimes that it is said that the agreements at Ottawa have caused m. certain apprakrvg.mn in other-countries,” he said. “I believe that apprehension to be unfounded. It must be based upon r '■opposition tlr+ our idea at Ottawa was to shut out the rest of the world from trade with the British Empire. That is a thing which we could not do if we would, and wo would not do if we could. The nepot.intiro.s which are either in progress or about to be undertaken with no less than 20 foreign countries show clearly enough that Ottawa has left a wide field for the making of advaH '■goons commercial treaties with other countries-

I would go even further than that and 1 would .say that Ottawa means increased prosperity, ami increased purchasing power among the countries of the British Empire, and that added strength cannot possibly he confined to its benefits, to the Empire itself. It is l)ound to show itself in greater international trade.”