Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-11-09
Imperial Conference
Near End; Has Eyaded
Important Question

Lonuon, NOV. S.--(BY A. P.)-The
imperial conference is expected to
complete it's labors tomorrow. 1t has,
however, again evaded one important
question. namely. the constitutional
question of the relations Of the do
minions and colonies to the motherland
and to each other: hence there will still
be no central body maintained in Lon
don to represent the conference per-
manently or carry out its political or
economic recommendations.
Presumably the conference bill will.
as heretofore. meet in London at stated
intervals in purely advisory capacity.
All its decisions and recommendations
will need TO be submitted to the va
rious parliaments concerned. Some of
its resolutions will be kept secret, and
the stated proceedings will be printed
in two volumes; one confidential, for
the governments concerned; and the
other for the public.
The details of the British govern
ments new proposals relative to pref
erence on wines were presented at the
economic section today. The first dou.
bleS the existing preference of two
shillings on the duty of six shillings
per gallon on wines exceeding a
strength of so per cent. Thus the
empire rates will by two instead of six
shillings The second proposes an in
crease of from 80 to so per cent. in
the preference on the surtax OF L.
shillings, pence on sparkling wines.
Thus the empire surtaX will be six
Shillings, three pence instead of 1876.
The prime minister, Stanley Baldwin,
testifying before the conference TO the
home governments gratitude for the
help received. expressed tn view that
the unseen work of the conference
had been Extraordinarily useful.
An official report of the speeches.
issued tonight. shows that the British
government made a further promise
to the conference that If any further
duty was placed on mailing barley
or hops. empire products would be
given a preference of one third
Premier Bruce of Australia in his
speech laid stress on the great
urgency that something should be
done for Australia's beef industry
and evidently was disappointed at
Mr.. Baldwin's promise that there
should be no tariff on meat or wheat
He insisted that this was a matter
of first class concern to Australia.
which wanted TO ensure British
market for empire products. Mr..
Bruce said there was a strong belief
in Australia that the only effective
means for obtaining Mat object was
tariff with preference and in this
connection, since the British gov
eminent had ruled a tariff out, he
thought it a pity that the conference
committee had ruled out the alter
native methods of subsidies, import,
licenses and the stablization of
prices. He believed these alterna-
tlves deserved longer discussion than
hn1 III
them.
Mr.. Bruce, continuing, said he
foresaw the possibility in the not
distant future of Russia reviving and
bending huge exports of grain abroad
winch would be a new danger for the
dominionS and Great Britain, with
their higher standard of living than
obtains in Russia.
Dilating on the serious condition
of the world today, debarred from
natural markets through the war
and with tens of thousands, even mill
lions. of men out of employment, Mr..
Bruce warned the conference that
things might reach such a crisis for
the whole empire that it would be-
come urgent to put through some
revolutionary remedies. Surely, he
said. 1T would be better to try to
avoid this today by strenuous efforts
to lind means for marketing empire
productions.
Mr.. Bruce said he believed that
in the present urgent situation pro-
posals which few years ago would
have been considered utterly impos-
sible now would he listened to. The
entire speech of the Australian
premier voiced a desire to see a pro-
tcctive tariff, with preference to the
dominions.
Premier Massey of New Zealand
fully supported Dir. Bruces views. He
eXpiated on the urgency of finding
means to compete with the Argentine
and South American beef trade,