IMPERIAL PREFERENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 147, 22 June 1923, Page 9

IMPERIAL PREFERENCE.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

PALMERSTON NORTH, Thursday.

An important announcement on the subject of Imperial preference was made by Mr. N. Elmslie, Trade Commissioner for Great Britain, at the annual smoke concert of the Manawatu and West Coast Agricultural and Pastoral Association. He said the question of preference was to be considered" at the Economic Conference. He did not think there was any strong probability of the Dominion being given direct preference on produce and raw material.

Britain had built up industries on cheap production, and the whole feeling of the country was that marketing costs should be kept down. If duties were placed on foodstuffs the cost of living would rise, resulting in increased wages and cost of production. The speaker did not think the country would stand for this, and some other way must be found. From the information in his possession, Mr. Elmslie assured them that the will to give what they sought existed, and the people of Britain were anxious to find some way to meet New Zealand without imposing actual duties on foodstuffs.