THE ENGLISH MARKETS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 113, 14 May 1936, Page 6

THE ENGLISH MARKETS.

PROBLEMS OF PROTECTION. (To the Editor.! I agree for once with Mr. Doidge that't is a good thing the Hon. W. Nash is 2o in! Home. His welcome from Major Douglas w'll probably be warmer than the one he receiv from Mr. Walter Elliot or a number of tlf British industrialists. When Mr. Elliot und stands that the Dominion farmer is to beßili sidised and that a number of manufacturer are to receive further protection, the Hon \v Nash will find it not quite so easy to'ml into practice what he preaches here in V Zealand. I still have a very vivid recollect!™ of the Prime Minister's Town Hall address "There are no difficulties"—the same "entl man to-day admits there are manv difficulties" Mr. Doidge puts it clearly and plainly. position is: England is faced with the position of finding employment for millions of h ■population in the factories, or on the land " overseas. The population of England has iCf as good a claim for protection against sub sidised Dominion goods as the Dominions ha against British goods. The Hon. "VV Mash tali! 8 about 22,000,000 underfed people ~i n <£ ! Britain. Why? Because the Dominions will not buy the goods they produce. Major Elliot says he is going to improve their condition and he is dping so—by putting them to wort producing British milk, butter, cheese, etche can and will do it. What would Mr' Xasb have to say if the British Government decided to subsidise the British bootmakers to th extent of the duty and exchange? That would be a different story. What would the Jf e w Zealand Government have to sav if the British Government announced the fact they would no longer provide naval or other defence for tho Dominions and that as far as she was concerned Germany, Japan or any other nation could have them? This Dominion, on everv possible occasion, slates the Englishman for making investments in foreign countries, but when any British industry makes an effort to invest here, what happens? Take Boots as an example—it is not an isolated case. lam well aware of the fact that this Dominion gives preference to British goods—hut only after anything from 10 to 30 per cent duty plus exchange, plus freight, plus the highest wharf charges in the Empire, have been made England told the self-governing Dominions plainly and distinctly at Ottawa what they could expect. The British farmer and the British industrialist are awake. There is no more reason why the British merchant in England should have to pay duty than there'is why the Christchurch merchant should not he protected against Auckland. Some of my readers may think this far-fetched—is it? The farmer in Mercer or Hamilton to-day i 6 prohibited from sending milk into Auckland—in other words, not a duty, but total prohibition ENGLISH. '