NECESSARIES OF LIFE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 226, 18 June 1920, Page 6

NECESSARIES OF LIFE

PRODUCTION WITHIN THE EMPIRE. Reference to the importance of the British Empire producing all its own necessaries of life was made by the Prime Minister yesterday when responding to tho toast of "Parliament", at the dinner given by thie Now Zealand Association of British Manufacturers.and Agents to Mr. R. W. Dalton, H.M. Trade Commissioner for the Dominion. When the war broke out, said Mr. Massey, the British people found to their surprise and dismay that they were short of a great deal of things tfint they required iw everyday life, and they had to go outside tho Empire for th'em. Probably the most important article was sugar. Tho sugar scarcity in Europe had not affected New Zealand up to the present, but it would affect this country presently, although he did not know whether it would do so seriously. By a system of bounties Germany and? other countries lad practically driven the British 6ugar manufacturer out of the market, and even in the British tropical countries many of the manufacturers went out of business. The industry had not yet recovered, but. he believed it would recover, and he believed the time was coming when they would be able to produce all the sugar British peoplo required within the boundaries of our own Empire. There was hardly anything required in their own homes which could not 'be produced in the Empire, and they would have to take 6teps to seo that, neither in peace nor war, would they bo dependent on other nations for supplies of necessaries.