Resources of the Empire.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15487, 14 January 1916, Page 6

Resources of the Empire.

The reports furnished by the Dominions Royal Commission from time to time have not, we nrc afraid, been particularly interesting to the general public, but the report issued last month, and summarised in "Tho Press" of yesterday, will, we think, attract the notico of a larger audience than commonly reads Blue Books. It deals with the food and raw material requirements if the United Kingdom, and the available sources of supply—a subject of which the importance has bsen emphasised by the war. A good many Imperialists chcrish the hope that tho Empire will one day become practically self-support-ing. and no doubt after the war trade will develop in that direction. Although such a dream may remain always a dream, there are, nevertheless, some encouraging, tendencies in the masses of figures in the Commission's latest report. So far as raw materials are concerned. there has been no tendency towards an incroaso in tho percentage of tho Mother Country's requirements supplied by the other parts of the Em r pire, but the tendency is decidedly marked in respect of food. The averago annual requirements of Britain in the matter of wheat were, during the years 1011-1913, supplied by home production (and importation in the following proportions: Home production, 22.1 per cent.; importation, 77.9 per cent. These figures are nearly the average since the beginning of the century. But an interesting changc has taken placo in the sharo supplied from British possessions. In tho period 1901-5, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and India, between them, supplied only 29.4 per cent, of tho wheat imported by Britain. In tho period 1911-13 they supplied 49.4 per cent; This very large and satisfactory increase: is, of course, mainly duo ti the extension of wheat cultivation in Western Canada. Not less interesting and encouraging ate tho figures snowing the relation between the growth of tho wheat area and the growth of the population in the Empire, and in other countries. The comparison i 3 between ihe year 1901 and the year 1911: —

Percentage increase . In In "Wheat area. Population. British Empire .. 45.5 -6.fi European countries 17.1 15.6 Other countries .. 19.9 £O.G Thus in foreign countries, European and extra-European, the population is keeping pace with the wheat area, but in the British Empire the wheat area is developing far more rapidly than tho population, and if the process continues it will not be long before the Empire is quite self-supporting, so far a-, wheat is concerncd. Britain grows 60 per cent, of tho .bailey she consumes, and 75 per cent, of her oats. Under both l those headings there is room i'or further development :n Canada and Australasia. As Britain must import practically all the maize she requires, and four-fifths of it comes in from Argentina, there does not appear to be much likelihood of the Empiro becoming self-sup-porting here. The figures relating to meat are not particularly satisfactory. At the beginning of the century Britain imported 45 per cefit. of her beef. Of the imported beef 60.5 per cent, came from the JJnited .States, 32.6 from Argentina, and 2.3 per cent, from Australia. By 1913, the United States was furnishing only about 11 per cent, of the foreign beef, Argentina 80§ per cent., and Australia 12i per cent. The actual quantity sent iu by Argentina had increased nearly fivefold, but the Australian supply had grown tenfold. The mutton figures are very interesting. In 1901 Britain imported about *10 per cent, of her requirements; in 1913 she imported about 45 per cent. But whereas British possessions furnished only about 60 ner cent, of her imports in 1901, in 1913 they supplied nearly 80 per cent, half of it coming from New Zealand. The comparison betweerr the growth of the live stocfc | totals and the growth of the population is not of the same satisfactory kind as the same comparison in the matter of wheat-production. lii Australia and New Zealand the live stock have increased at a substantially greater rate than the population, but | in Canada the position is quite the ! reverse, and in Britain also. The ' difficulty is accentuated 'by the development of the; United Sfetes into a meat-importing country. Australasia, i ivhich furnished about I2i per cent, of Britain's imported butter supplies, furnished over 23 per cent, by 1913, but as Britain has to import nearly two-

thirds of her requirements the time seems very distant -when the foreign butter supplier can be dispensed with in time of need. Coal presents no problems for Great Britain. She now produces about 280 million tons a year, and is able to export a surplus of about 100 million tons. For the bulk of her iron imports, which arc nearly 50 per cent, of her own production. she depends upon Spain. Newfoundland is the only British possession sending in an appreciable amount of 'ore, but there are great deposits in Canada, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. It is in respect of metals and cotton that there is most need for development in the Empire, especially as the figures do not indicate that the foreigner is being sensibly interfered with as the main supplier of Britain. The general purport of the figures now collected is, as wo have said, encouraging. There is no reason why the Empire shall not become almost entirely independent- of the ..food and wool produced by foreign countries, and we may expect that after the war the way will be made easier for the development of the production of other raw materials within the Empire.