EMPIRE TRADE

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 183, 1 May 1936, Page 10

EMPIRE TRADE

Government’s Policy Of Marketing “NOT GOING BACK TO BARTER” Prime Minister Favours Agreements Support for Empire trade was suggested yesterday by the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon? M. J. Savage, in commenting in an interview on the overseas marketing methods which the Government proposed to adopt under the Primary Products Marketing Bill, now before the House. “I want to repeat that our aim is to deal with the best elements of the British distributive trade,” said Mr. Savage. “We need their help in the marketing of our goods, and we are willing to pay them for their services. W.e are not going back to conditions of primitive Communism and barter, but we. are going to use the best and mo6t modern methods of trade.” There had to be a planned national economy, the Prime Minister continued, and while attempts were being made to improve the lot of the fanner by organised marketing, the standard of living of the Dominion would have to be guarded by seeing that manufacturers got the protection they deserved, either by definite international agreements or by tariffs. “My preference is for definite agreements and control of trade,” Mr. Savage said. “I would begin with Great'Britain and the other countries of the Empire, and after that I can see no stopping place. We should begin in our own home circle and trade with the people who gave us life and allowed us to be here. After that we could extend the hand of fellowship and trade to any nation willing to be a friend. .

“If the nations of the world would only look at trade in a common-sense manner, tariffc and Customs duties would not be needed at all. Instead of those barriers there would be honourable understandings as between nations, and surely that would help in overcoming International suspicion and mistrust.”