EMPIRE PRODUCTS,

Taranaki Daily News, 18 December 1922, Page 5

EMPIRE PRODUCTS,

USE AT EXHIBITION. DOMINIONS TO BE HEARD. SCOPE OF ENQUIRY. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Dec. 17, 5.5 p.m. London, Dec. 15. Sir W. Joynson-Hioks (Parliamentary Secretary for Overseas Trade) addressed Dominion journalists, outlining the course he proposes to pursue during the Empire Exhibition inquiry. He said that if the charges were substantiated a very serious situation would arise, and he would not hesitate to make recommendations in a certain direction. He desired to conduct the investigation so as not to endanger the success of the exhibition, and therefor? it would not be public. For the same reason, the Government considered it wiser not to entrust the inquiry to a committee The inquiry would open on Monday, and. the first witnesses would be Messrs. Wintour, Southborough and McMahon, followed by the persons making charges in reference to the entertainment, timber and catering contracts, and the publicity arrangements. If he was satisfied that a prime facie case was established that the Dominions were improperly treated in reference to contracts, or that there was gross mismanagement, he would bring the contending parties together and try to ar rive at the truth. He hoped to submit the report to the Government by the end of January, and he expected it would be published.

He trusted the result of the inquiry would ensure that the exhibition would be an Empire one, and not an exhibiiton of foreign goods. He would take such steps as he hoped would make it perfectly clear that that end would be attained.

Replying to questions, he promised to consider the possibility of giving the Agents-General representation on the execu tive council, and also including direct representatives of the Dominions on the administrative staff. He would also give Dominion producers an opportunity of directly answering objections to the use of the Dominions’ products. Asked whether he would consider the ad visability of abrogating existing contracts in order to provide for the use of the Dominions’ products, he said he would examine the contracts legally from that view-point.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. London, December 14.

In response to Sir J. Cook’s representations, the Duke of Devonshire, on behalf of the executive council of the Empire Exhibition, ha* Agreed to the following undertakings:—Provision will be made in all contracts, and in every other way possible, that Empire materials only shall be used in the construction of the buildings; also in the restaurants, and that no exception shall be made to the rule unless it is certified by the British authorities and Dominion representatives that such Empire products are not available.