OTTAWA AGREEMENTS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 596, 29 July 1933, Page 5

OTTAWA AGREEMENTS

(Press Assn.—

DEBATE ON DOMINION AFFAIRS IN COMMONS DOMINIONS CRITICISED

-By Telegraph— Copyrlght).

Rec. July 28, 7.10 p.m. London, July 28. In the course of the debate upon Dominion affairs in the House of Commons, Sir H. M. A. Sinclair (Liberal, Caithness), said that the changing economic conditions and fluctuations in the currencies of the Dominions, had rendered the Ottawa agreements out of date Nothing had been done at Ottawa to prevent dumping and certain of the Empire Governments found it dangerous to adopt the vicious method of an export subsidy. Mr. L. C. M. S. Amery (Conservative, Sparbrook), supported the continuation of tbe operations of the Empire Marketing Board. Mi\ G. Lambert (Liberal-National, South Molton), declared that the cheesemakers of Cheshire were unable to make a living owing to the conrpetition from the Dominions. It was inexcusable that Australia should dump butter in England below the horne prices. The British farmer was entitled to the first place on the home market. i Mr. P. J. H. Hannon (Conservative, Mosley), expressed the opinion that Mr. J. H. Thomas had done all that was possible to solve the Irish problem. As an Irishman himself, he. was distressed that Ireland was the only portion of the Empire without any feeling for the Empire's best interests. Mr. J. H. Thomas, Secre.tary of State for the Dominions, replying said that it was impossible to judge the results of the Ottawa agreements hy one abnormal year but even in that period, Ottawa had been justified. Canada, Australia, New Zealand South Africa and Southern Rhodesia had all inereased their British imports in the first six months of 1933. He had the permisison of the Minister of Agriculture (Major W .E. Elliot) to say that there was every i reason to believe that the Dominions would adopt the report of the Imperial Consultative Committee.. Regarding the Empire Marketing Board the Minister said that an effort would be made to maintain the individual branches of its work in relation to British agriculture, timber and also with regard to scientific investigations.