ENEMY GOODS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3028, 15 March 1917, Page 5

ENEMY GOODS

LEAVE SOUGHT TO SELL i MR. HUGHES AND A DUPUTATION A deputation representative of the commercial and trading community of Australia waited on tbe Prime Minister (Mr. Hughes) last week to urge the cancellation of tho prohibition against the sale of oneiny goods. Mr. Warren Kerr, president of tho Molbourno Chamber of Commerce, introduced tho deputation, which comprised representatives of tlio various chambers throughout tho Commonwealth. Reference was made by tho various speakerß to the value of enemy goods running into many thousands of pounds that had been bought and paid for by Australian traders before tho war. All this capital, it was pointed out, would bo lost to the Commonwealth if the prohibition was insisted upon. 'An extension of tho date for selling the goods would not meet tho case, and traders asked that full freedom to dispose of goods bought before tho war should bo grauted.

Mr. Meets (S.A.) estimated that tho valuo of hardware goods alone was well over £100,000. Ho said that if tho sale of machinery parts was stopped it would mean that much of tho machinery in Australia could not keep running. Prime Minister's Reply. The Primo Minister, in reply, expressed astonishment at hearing that aftor two and a half years of war thero should still he such enormous stocks of German-made goods in Australia. Every opportunity had been , given to merchants to dispose of them—up to August, 191G, there had been no restrictions at all on their sale, and the prohibition issued then _ should have been an additional incentive for traders to get rid of them. "I quit® understand," Mr. Hughes proceeded, ''that in peaco time tho trader may he justified in. going whero ho will for his goods, but I mnst express my regret that we should have imported into Australia such vast quantities of German goods and materials. It would_ have been well had that spirit of patriotism which is now abroad manifested itself before the war in the direction of encouraging British industry. I admit that in somo measure it is a reflection upon Britain herself, hut I do hope that tho lesson of this war will_ enable her to wine, out past failures in that regard. (Hear, hear.) Britain should long ago have organised her industries, as Germany harl organised hers, and the failure to do so proves tho truth of my statement that the commercial domination of tho world by Germany had proceeded so far that itfell little short of a complete domination." Continuing, Mr. Hughes said that, as the goods now in Australia had been paid for before tho war, tho argument that Germany could get no benefit from their salo was a sounfl one. There had been kindlrtl in Australia a very strong and virile sentiment which regarded as anathema all things that came from Germany—which desired not to touch or handle them. That was a sentiment all must rejoice in. 'Hie policy of tho present Government was to tako advantage of tho calamity that had befallen the nation by encouraging Australian industry, and also by encouraging trade between tho various parts of tho Empire. Australia was committed to the pact entered into at tho Paris Conference, which proposed to impose a prohibition on Germany for a number of years both with regard to her trade and shipping. Tho Government, having announced its policy, was confronted with tho problem of how to got rid of tbeso stocks of German _ goods. In proposing that the prohibition be removed, tho deputation did not tako into consideration tho sentiment ho had already referred to. and whilo somo phases of tho problem appoarcd to bo capable of adjustment, others did not. It was not reasonable, for instance, to opposo tho salo of inaohincry parts that could not bo manufactured elsewhere, aiicT in that direotion relief would bo afforded. The burdens of tho war should not bo allowed to bear too heavily on any one section of tho community, but it seemed inconsistent withtho professions of loyalty and determination that were being mado on every sido that goods of enemy origin in this country should lii! offered for sale undistinguished from tho goods of other countries. Ho had lont a very sympathetic ear to tho arguments put forward by tho deputation. Tho postponement of tho prohibition from time, to timo was proof that the Government did not desire to impose hardship on iho commercial coinmunity, and ho would promise that any suggestions received would bo given very careful consideration. If a. way could be shown that was consistent with tho policy of tho Government, and tho sentiment that, was now abroad In this country not to liavo anything lo do wiih Germany, the Ministry would endeavour to do what it could to lighten the burdens of those affected ,by .tho prohibition,