IMPERIAL PREFERENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 50, 28 February 1923, Page 5

IMPERIAL PREFERENCE.

MISSION TO DOMINIONS.

LONDON PRESS SUGGESTION. TO WELD THE EMPIRE. iT»y Cable.—Press Association.— Copyright.) LONDON, February 27. "A return to the 'tight little island' theory of our remote ancestors is no longer practicable."' states tbe "Morning Post" in a leader. "As the Old World to a great extent has been destroyed and foreign countries tend to shut out our trade, we are forced to cultivate our own Empire. There are difficulties in the way of a revival of this policy, the greatest being that the I'nited Kingdom no longer bases itself upon production. For a century our manufacturers have been warring with agriculturists; agriculture should be made a key industry under the Safeguarding of Industries Act. If this is done it will be easy to come to accord with the policy of the Dominions. "In this connection we welcome the note struck by Mr. S. M. Bruce, the new Prime Minister of Australia. He reminded Australians of the need for an Empire policy on defence, foreign relations, and trade. This hitherto has been opposed in the interest of the sordid, soulless internationalism of Free Traders. Now, we trust, the Mother Country favours a policy of prelerencc. "There are diverse streams of tendency in different parts of the Empire. We suggest that the Imperial Government should send a preliminary gommission to the Dominions to ascertain what common basis of policy there may be, so that no time will lie lost when the Imperial Conference docs meet."—(A. and N.Z. Cable.)

PRODUCERS' DEPUTATION.

TO TRADE SECRETARY. (Received 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, February 27. A deputation from the British Empire Producers' Organisation waited on Sir W. Joynson Hicks, and urged that It be made obligatory on cveryi Government department and public body to buy only eoods of Empire origin, and to employ British labour exclusively.

Mr. Benjamin Morgan said the Government's attitude toward Imperial trade caused deep misgiving in the Dominions. Australia in 1921 gave Britain tariff preference totalling eight millions, while Britain's tariff preference on Australian goods did not amount to three hundred thousand. New Zealand, in addition to giving tariff preference, accepted British tenders at ten per cent above foreign. Not long ago the War Office passed over Australian and New Zealand army meat tenders and bought a million tins from the United States. When Dominion tenderers sought a reason all information was refused. Similar happenings were reported in connection with municipalities in Britain. Unless something were done there might be a great revulsion of feeling in t?ie Dominions and colonies against continuing preferences in favour of Britain.

Mr. Joynson-Hicks said he and Sir P. Lloyd Graeme, president of the Board of Trade, had full sympathy with the deputation's object. The matter was being carefully considered, especially by the Cabinet committee «n unemployment. The Government could not imposeconditions on municipalities. The representations made would be given full weight by Cabinet.—(A. and N.Z. Cable.) °