Empire Preference

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 713, 12 July 1929, Page 9

Empire Preference

STRONG CANADIAN SUPPORT Views of Finance Minister NEW ZEALAND EXAMPLE CITED . (United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) (United Service) Received 9 a.m. VICTORIA (8.C.), Thursday. NEW ZEALAND lias full British preference and gives Canada full preference. ... I do not believe the preference given by Canada to Australia and New Zealand has done any harm to British Columbia,” said the Hon. J. A. Robb, Minister of Finance, in a speech here.

Reiterating liis statement that Canada had always been favourably disposed toward joint discussion of problems of mutual interest to the nations of the Empire, and would consider with favour any suggestion from the Government of Britain leading to an Empire economic conference, Mr. Robb again expressed surprise over the reported declaration of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Philip Snowden, against preferential policies. “I believe in British preference, and I believe the British people whom Mr. Snowden represents would welcome preference given them by the Dominions. If Mr. Snow-den is opposed to preferential tariff policies, he is not representing the views of the British people as a whole,” said Mr. Robb, indicating that there had been a volte face since the effacement of the Baldwin Government in 1923. “However, we are not making the policies of Great Britain. She is capable of making her own tariffs. Britain is in accord with our own preferential policy with regard to Australia.” New Zealand, Mr. Robb said, had full British preference, and gave Canada full preference. Canada had a trade agreement with Australia, governing specified products, and the same applied to South Africa. Britain enjoyed the same privileges. "I do not believe the preference

given by Canada to Australia and New Zealand has done any harm to British Columbia.” He contended that there was no real opposition to British preference in Canada, although he admitted that there might be some opposition to the manner of its application. He recalled that when Mr. W. S. Fielding introduced a preference policy, there was opposition from the Opposition. Now the leader of the Opposition. Mr. R. B. Bennett, was prea hing British preference. EMPIRE TRADE A British Official Wireless message says the Parliamentary Secretary for the Dominions, Mr. Arthur Ponsonby, stated that the Government had under active consideration the question of the development of inter-Empire trade. It naturally welcomed the indications in the statement by members of the Canadian Government and others that the question was also under examination in other parts of the Empire. How such trade development could be brought about was clearly a matter which each Government, to a large extent, must examine for itself. However, if there were any general desire for an Imperial Economic Conference to take place before the next Imperial Conference —due to meet in London next year—the Government would gladly participate.