Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 1925. INTRA-IMPERIAL TRADE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLVI, Issue 10474, 13 August 1925, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 1925. INTRA-IMPERIAL TRADE.

Whatever may be said * regarding the details of the Imperial Economic Committee's report and whatever may be the outcome of the full consideration which Mr Baldwin has promised will be given by the British Cabinet, there is no doubt the dominions will welcome the report as indicating an honest endeavour to solve a problem affecting the Whole Empire no less than Britain herself- The report declares that the time is ripe for a national effort to stimulate the consumption of Empire produce in the United Kingdom. The British consumer, it is stated, should be organised for preference to Empire which must be consistent in quality, quantity, and continuity of supply. The committee proposes on the one hand, marking goods and propaganda and, on the other hand, development of excellence in the product by research. As regards research there can be ho gainsaying that there exists a large field for advance in this connection, with advantage to both parties to the trade, could the scheme outlined by Sir Halford Mackinder be brought into operation. But if the British people are prepared to do their part to foster intra-Imperial trade, it is not less the duty, of the Dominions to undertake-their share also. As "The Times" says: "It will be incumbent on the dominions and colonies to see that the Empire origin label becomes a guarantee of quality." There is, however, another aspect to be considered—the amount of support the dominions can give to the manufacturers of Britain. It is vital to this Dominion that the British market for its dairy produce should be a large and" profitable one. Yet, so long a_s unemployment in Britain continues to the extent now prevailing, a serious limit is set to the purchasing pew,ers of a considerable section of its people. By buying British goods, the people of this Dominion can do something to promote the United Kingdom's industries, and to assist in maintaining the ability of the industrial classes to buy New Zealand foodstuffs. On the other hand, the British manufactures offered must be such as to meet New Zealand's requirements, and this necessitates a close acquaintance with the nature of those requirements. The maintenance of resilient trade under the Flag depends upon national sentiment being given commercial expression. The whole question resolves itself, into the problem of making other tilings equal, both Mother Country and Dominions supplying commodities of the precise, kind required by the respective customers. Unless this requirement is fulfilled propaganda either in Britain or overseas must fail; given such fulfilment, even a scheme modified from that suggested by the Economic Committee would result in great gain. As the "Daily Mail" says, there is no inherent reason why Britain should import such enormous food

supplies from foreign lands, and there is no reason why the

dominions should not likewise give the Mother Country the advantage of their trade. The larger the trade within its confines the more prosperous and more safe the Empire.