EMPIRE PREFERENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19050, 22 June 1925, Page 9

EMPIRE PREFERENCE.

MACDONALD OPPOSED. TAXATION OF FOODSTUFFS. A. and N.Z. LONDON. June 19. The Leader of the Labour Party, Sir. Ramsay Mac Donald, in a weekly interview published in the Daily Herald, says that Labour did not vote on the general question of preference, but on whether the preference proposals were consistent with a free breakfast-table. Some thought they were, others that they were not. Somb contended thai; once preference were given to certain Empire-grcmin produce against foreign produce it would never bo possible to cancel the duties without creating a charge of having broken the bargain with tho Dominions. "In short we have saddled our food with taxes permanently," says Mr. MacDonald. He says that holding that view as ho did he voted accordingly. Others contended that food taxes which were imposed year after year could be removed without aggrieving the Dominions. The Socialist creed said that m every land the people's well-being depends on the vtiell-being of the whole world. They must not play the game of tho capitalist and the Imperialist. The Dominions' Labour parties wore not sup-" porting the Imperialists' programme of political and economic exclusiven^ss.