LABOUR AND THE DOMINIONS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 149, 28 June 1929, Page 8

LABOUR AND THE DOMINIONS

Before Mr. Sidney Webb (barely recognisable as Lord Passfield) Sir James Parr, whose period as New Zealand High Commissioner has been briefly extended, said that in his youth he had studied some of the Webb books, and "had adopted some of the Fabian theories, but in his capacity of Tory Minister." The word "Tory" would hardly have been likely to be self-applied if" Sir James were on a New Zealand party platform, but that may pass. He went on to plead with the new Labour regime for the Empire Marketing Board, which may be said to represent a measure of Fabianism accepted by the Imperial preference party of the Conservatives when they recognised the limits of their action in the Customs sphere. "If no effective

preference, then at least the Empire Marketing Board," summed up the philosophy of the hour. It is to this Board that Sir James Parr pays his tribute, pleading to Lord Passfield "not to be hard on it." Meanwhile, however, a London paper suggests a division of the Ministerial responsibilities for the Dominions and the Colonies, which would mean the appointment of a new Minister. If the Dominions, as apart from the Colonies, are to fall under the new Minister, presumably the fate of the Empire Marketing Board will lean that way also. At time of writing there is nothing but newspaper autho° rity for the reported rearrangement. Is the motive behind it purely administrative, or is there a desire to have a Minister in the Commons to set off the fact that Lord Passfield sits in the other Chamber?