A PRESSING NEED

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2579, 29 September 1915, Page 14

A PRESSING NEED

EMPIRE SPRING CLEANING ECONOMICS AFTER THE WAR • !Aj. striking plea for Imperial, organisation. matters .was. .made by.--Mr,.'.Meredith Atkinson.: in a. recent issue , of. tip . : Sydnoy . "Sun.. Though Mr ."Atkinson wrote" primarily from the Australian' iJoint, 'his'remarks are so much to tho'.'ppint. as, regards the Dominion. al.»~ that we make no apology for ..'reproducing them :— \ '.

.'From:-, and'.all'lmperial possessions wo.receive,,72 per,.cent. of, our imports into Australia..; From' Germany wo receive.,7: per. cent.-,.-■ and-.- from all foreignl countries.-together,-29-;per cent. The>'percentago.;i6t..imports- from the [United Kingdom. has niucll- diminished in recent, years. ' But' this >is. not. alto-, 'gather to ,tho -of Britain, since'.Australia has - ■largely -ironicflip . United States such things', as - kerosene, timber; and • certain 'foodstuff^,--which- the United- Kingdom 'does, riot,prbduce. majority of. cases a th'iarticles. ■ mentioned .in tlio above- list' ccmie to us from England in larger quantities than/ from .Germany. i'.is -'most/ required,' therefore/ is the adbptiom of still closer commercial understanding between' ..Britain., and 'Australia; 1 ; All" kinds. of iron .. goods, machinery, metal manufactures.,- 1 drugs and- chemicals, scientific .-/ instruments, vehicles,..'and- many other .articles> aro sent :from Britain. It is only in a few. specialities:.' like. porcelain,; picture mculdings/; and opera- glasses that: tho German article - -is cheaper ■ or; better than .that of.'Britain. The British .Board of Trade.has' already ,taken :steps .to find; the best ways arid-means, of increasing" British; trade.- with-. the Dominions. ■ Britain' badly needs a .Minister of Commerce, whose business it would be-, to ; control tli'at -department of .the Board- of Trade; recently, reformed /as the, Commercial Intelligence Department, The, Board, of Trade' lias Jcng'been too supercilious in its attitude to matters connected with, mere trade.