IMPERIAL RESOURCES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 86, 11 April 1917, Page 7

IMPERIAL RESOURCES.

THEIR DEVELOPMENT.

(From Our Special Correspondent.)

LOXJX>N, February 9. There was a time when to be a Socialist in England meant that one dwelt in the outer pale. Conservative and Liberal alike regarded Socialism as the last resort of the revolutionary ac anathema. But war ... to be banal, lias changed all that. Socialism has penetrated to high places, and Socialism is the gospel of the moment. Or at l<*ast a "sort of" Socialism. It calls itself State Socialism. And. in truth, most things the Government has been setting ite strenuous hand and brain to of late has. been State Socialism. But within this month a new body has voluntarily set iteelf to .work, to wit, the Umpire Resources Development Committee, and the new scheme was launched within the offices of the Rhodes' Trustees last week. The objects of the committee were set forth to be that it aimed at setting irp machinery by which the State niisht obtain fresh revenue to countervail the heavy debt to :bo met at the end of the war." The committee thought the method by which that revenue could be produced "was in the development of the various assets of the Empire. Suggestions were invited, and had been obtained, on three particular lines—land development. usJ'eries development, and. the development of the tropical palm-oil products of the Empire. Sir Starr .lameson, better known as "Dr. .lim" of Raid fame, in easy conversational manner addressed the Pressmen and others interested, parrying one after the other such objections as might be laid to the scheme. The first criticism that had been passed was that this was practically Socialism run rampant. His replr was that we hatl been tending that ■way long before the war broke out. The second criticism was that no Government Department could be trusted with carrying out the development which the committee had foreshadowed. The answer was that the Development Board should be constituted of the captains of industry, who had practical experience in their own business and in public companies, and that they should be paid for their work. They hoped the self-governing Dominions would work hand-in-hand with them, bat the fisheries and palm-oil industries, which -were in Crown Colonies, could be developed by the Imperial Government on their own account at orice. He also explained, in reply to a question, that the committee's scheme had not been submitted to the Connmisei; n which was inquiring into the resources of the Empire. Mr. H. Wilson Fox, -whose part in shaping Rhodesian destinies is well known, (was emphatre in support of the State's capacity to do better than private enterprise: "It can be said, without fear of contradiction, that the opportunities for either creating new wealth or for preventing iwaste of wealth, and consequently the opportunities for profitmaking, are unlimited, sriven the eyes to see, the brain to conceive, the hands to execute, and the capital to support. Of the natural resources of the Empire, 6ome are already in private ownership, but in many portions of the Empire the fringe has only yet been touched, and the State etill remains the owner of a vast untapped domain. Moreover, in cases "where the existing rights of individuals, or corporations, tend to interfere with schemes of State development, the State can legitimately restrict, modrfy, or expropriate such rights in the national interest on fair terms. "Given the desire on the part of the State to undertake development and trade on ita own account, there is no doubt that it can command facilities such as cannot be possessed by any private individual corporation. For example, it has better credit, it has the power of legislation at its back, and it can conclude arrangements with foreign Governments. He cited fisheries and palm oil as cases in point. Of the latter he said: "The Empire has immense holdings of undeveloped pafan lands —almost a monopoly.' Mr. Bigiand's detailed account of the iteheries scheme evoked some deeply interesting facts. "Some time ago," he said, "tbe Minister of Munitions asked mc to take charge of all oils that contained glycerine, and I pointed out that tbe Government controlled the -whole of the whale fishing in the Antarctic Ocean. By giving licensee to the men to fish in tlie&e -waters on condition that the oil ■was retained for this country we had received during the war 660.000 barrels of this oiL It was a revelation to mc that ■we had β-ueh a supply, and while the Germans were paying, for little lots '£300 a ton for such oil, 1 am buying it for the Government at £38 a ton." There was practically no limit to the quantity, and the Grand Trunk Pacific had already offered him refrigerating plant to bring fish from Prince Rupert Island to Liverpool at a penny a ton. ■which would be reduced to three-farth-ings or a half-penny on big Government contracts being entered into. This development could take place immediately The necessary shipbuilding and equipment must take time, but after the iwar— if tne Government allowed it—the whole of the vessels now used in the North Sea for mine sweeping and other purpose; would form the nucleus of an Empire fishing fleet. It must be apparent to every one thai no private individual could accomplish such a great work in the way that ar Empire Council could do. There was the objection th*t it would be Socialistic foi the State to carry on such a business; but the committee would begin where Tested interests were the least in force— except as regarded the fishermen engagec in the business —and that was in the bet of the ocean. His idea was that all or board the fishing vessels, from the cap tain to the lowest man, should partici pate in the proceeds of the catches. II the State secured a profit of a penny a pound, which was £9 6/ a ton, it wouk: t>e qnite possible to make a gross profit ir ten years of £36,000,000, out of whicl: the "sinking fund for the developroeni charges must 'he met. It would 'be for the State to regulate the prices in everj town in the country, and the State should have the control of the home fisheries as well." The scheme has breadth 'befitting the Empire. It is the first of its kind in twe respects, that it aims at a world-erobrac ing purview of industrial resources, anc that it sets down the intention to share the profits of Imperial resources with the workers. If its sponsors but stick tc their brief the scheme, if and when the Imperial Government implements it may into a healthy growth oi Anglo-Colonial enterprise, bearing not only much-needed relief to the British taxpayer, but a guerdon of progress and prosperity for the remote communities which will be developed by it.