Blow to Dominions

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1027, 18 July 1930, Page 9

Blow to Dominions

SNOWDEN’S TRADE POLICY

Protection Ruled Out

BIG ISSUE AT IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

THE Dominions are vitally affected by the statement of Mr. Philip Snowden, Chancellor of the British Exchequer, ruling out protection from the conclusions of the Imperial Conference in London in September. Newspaper critics claim that this will deprive the' conference of its main interest for Dominion statesmen, while in one quarter Dir. Snowden’s attitude is described as “insanity.” Mr. Baldwin’s censure motion on safeguarding was defeated, with the support of the Liberal Party.

United P.A.—By Telegraph —Copyrifjh Reed. 9.5 a.m. LONDON, Thursday'. “The Times” says the Government will enter the Imperial Conference fettered and pledged not to advance, but to outrule any solution of the economic problem by violating the sacred principle of free imports. “Mr. Snowden may be speaking the mind of the Government,” it says, “but it is certainly not that of the country. This is impracticable. Insistence upon obsolete dogmas will not deter public opinion from demanding a constructive policy.” The “Daily Telegraph says: Mr. Snowden, in ruling out protection from the conclusions of the Imperial Conference, has suppressed the main interest with which Dominion statesmen were anticipating that conference. What view the Dominions will take of this statement we shall soon know. The view of the great majority here is that it is insanity. MOTION OF CENSURE The motion of censure moved by Mr. Stanley Baldwin, Conservative Leader, in the House of Commons, upon safeguarding industries, was defeated by 312 votes to 241. In replying to the mover, Mr. Philip Snowden, Chancellor of the Ex chequer, said there could be no ques tion of co-operation with the Conservatives on the basis of the Labour Party’s sacrificing its principles. The Leader of the Liberals, Mr. Lloyd George, who supported the attitude taken up by the Government, said Mr. Baldwin’s censure motion was the most inexplicable he had ever heard. Mr. Baldwin was condemning the Government for repudiating the food taxes which he had himself re pudiated only a few weeks ago. Mr. Baldwin had been on a sliding staircase, said Mr. George. He had not moved, but had been moved; in fact, he had been pushed about rather badly by his own followers. Unemployment was too grave to be used merely for party manoeuvres. GHOSTS OF THE PAST Sir Oswald Mosley', Labour member for Smthwick. said: What we want and what the Dominions want, is a hard, concrete policy which will meet agricultural and industrial ueed3. Wherever you turn—from the report of the Trades Union Congress to the memorandum of the bankers —you find a growing consensus of opinion that it is desirable to insulate this country from the shocks of world conditions The Prime Minister, Mr. MacDonald, recalled Mr. Baldwin’s speech at Drury Lane Theatre in April. 1929, in which he pledged the Conservatives not to impose food taxes. If Mr. Baldwin was not going to violate that pledge, what was the difference between them?

Not a single Dominion could give Britain substantial preference on manufactured articles in relation to industries •which, the}' - themselves were establishing behind tariff walls in return for advantages for food imports.

At the Imperial Conference the Government would take up the position in regard to food taxes which every party took up when asking for votes at the last general election.

Mr. Baldwin’s motion was to the effect that, believing a return to prosperity could only be promoted by safeguarding the home markets against unfair competition and by expanding the export markets by reciprocal trade agreements with tlie Empire overseas, the House regretted that the Government had reversed the policy of safeguarding instead of extending it and had arbitrarily excluded* from consideration the imposition of duties on foreign foodstuffs devised to obtain equivalent advantages lor British manufactures and agriculture in British markets and elsewhere.

NO FOOD TAXES CONTROL OF CONFERENCE AGENDA PAPER British Official Wireless Reed. 12.40 p.m. RUGBY, Thursday. In the House of Lords this evening, Lord Elibank raised the question of the agenda at the forthcoming Imperial Economic Conference. He inquired whether the Government was prepared to agree to a consideration by the conference of every aspect of closer trade relationship between Britain and the rest of the Empire, and whether it would submit to the conference for full discussion the policy of Empire free trade, including the imposition of duties on foreign foodstuffs. Lord Arnold, replying for the Government, said the details of the subjects for discussion at the conference were under discussion with the Dominion Governments. The final form of the agenda had not yet been settled, but the Prime Minister would make an announcement upon it before the end of the session. The agenda would permit a consideration of any proposals might be put forward for the purpose of improving inter-imperial trade, but it would be made clear from th© outset that the Government was opposed to any new or increased taxation of foodstuffs, or to any system of tariffs in Great Britain.

The Government would not agree to submit to the conference a policy of Empire free trade.