OTTAWA AGREEMENTS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 365, 28 October 1932, Page 5

OTTAWA AGREEMENTS

! (British OfRcial Wireless)

MR. THOMAS REPLIES TO CRITICS ON SEGOND READING ' ! MITIGATE UNEMPLOYMENT

Rec. Oct. 27. Rugby, Oct. 26. In moving the second reading of the Ottawa Agreements Bill in the Housd of Commons, Mr. J. H. Thomas (Secretary of State for the Dominions) said the Opposition argument that nothing was done by the agreements to ease the unemployment situation was answered in the steel indhstry indirectly, and the eoal trade directly. He asked the Labour Party to Oonsider the future pOsition Of unemployment unless the Doriiinions were placed in a position to deal with tho problem of migration. If they were put in a position to welcome hundi'fe'ds of thousands df British people every year, somethirig would be -dOnie to mitigate the unemployment problem. The' British delegates had deliberately agreed to the scheme of meat restrictions as a means for increasing wholOsale prices. Unless there was stich an increase there was no possible hope for prOducers. Regarding Russia, the British delegates had undertaken that if any nation by any particular action prevented the value- of prefefenee beirig eiijoyed by the Dominions, the necesSary steps would be taken to give effect tO thfe ihte'ntiohs of the British Government. The Minister deplored that the Irish Free State, by her own action, was depriving herself of the benefits of the Ottawa agreements. He expressed the Government's hope that this would only be temporary. There were again sharp fluctuations in the exehange rate to-day, although the tone of the market was reported steadier.