WHERE WE STAND

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 130, 3 June 1937, Page 9

WHERE WE STAND

MR. SAVAGE SPEAKS

THE MESSAGE TO BRITAIN

TWO-WAY TRADING

(From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, May 12. The reputation of being a "man who Knows his-own-mind and who speaks it" was established by the Prime Minister, Mr. M. J.. Savage, on the very first occasion upon which he spoke publicly in London. Together with the Prime Ministers of Australia and Knodesia, Mr. Savage was the guest ot the Federated Chambers .of Commerce of the British Empire, and with _ Mr. W. S. Morrison, Minister of Agriculture, he was called uijon to reply to the toast of "His Majesty's Ministers, proposed by Lord Elibank. In his reply, Mr. Savage said that although New Zealand desired increased trade with Great Britain, New Zealanders sometimes wondered whether they would not have to search for markets among other nations—a possibility which seemed "almost unbelievable because we are British to ■ the core." Lord Elibank, who introduced Mr. 'Savage,-declared that;the Federation had "just returned from one of the ' most ■interesting triennial congresses held during the 50 years of its lifetime" in Wellington last October. "We are- justified in thinking that results of the Congress will be of benefit to ''the Empire," he said, "and.what will ever remain in our memory, for it ' touched the hearts of all of us there, . was the warmth of the welcome and the > outstanding hospitality given us by the Government, and private citizens alike. Whatever differences of opinion may have arisen, there only will remain as a result'of our journeying, a feeling of gratitude for the way in which they. looked after us, entertained us, and helped/us to understand their .problems, and difficulties, and ways of life." , Lord ■ Elibank referred to the importance of the forthcoming Imperial Conference, and said that foreign affairs and Imperial defence would be two of the most, important subjects' discussed. It was hoped 'that there would emerge a definite foreign policy and a scheme of Empire defence which would demonstrate the unity of the democratic peoples of the British Empire and their determination to present a united front to a restless world. READY TO MAKE A DEAL. When Mr. Savage rose to reply he was received with exceptionally warm applause and an .undertone of cheering. - '. ■ ■ ■.-.■■• "It Is," said the Prime Minister, "a great privilege to be with you, a privilege that comes only once or twice in a lifetime. The last occasion upon which I met his Lordship was in Wellington. 'He fired a shot or two at us before he left, but we are still going \strong, and there are1 more smiling faces in, New Zealand than there have ever been since I have been a resident of that Dominion. (Laughter and applause.) "Lord Elibank has. referred to the defence of' the' British Empire, That is bound up with a number of other things. We cannot discuss • defence without thinking of migration. We cannot .discuss migration / without thinking about >trade. ■ We are' largely an ;' agricultural country,- and. we' are invited by the British Empire'- to bring people from, the : British Isles.. What is the use of..bringing more people to pro-■;''duce'moi;e-*.while,-,-the people' in" Britain are talking about taking less! The . more you take of our butter, the more . we can take of your: manufactures and ' people! I have already told his Lordship that I- can say- all I want to say ■ in one minute, and I have salfl it! -. "We .must," continued1 Mr. Savage, •'get paid for our exports in goods receiyed.from the countries to which we export. We know that'before we begin. We have had one of our iMinisters here. Mr: Walter Nash, for some months. He , has' told you the thing s that I am say- . irig,,andwe are in deadly earnest about it, because we are part and parcel of ■ , the British • people. Sometimes we wpnder, whether we are to be. driven from our kinsmen overseas to- other . nations : in our search for markets.' It seems almost unbelievable, for we are British to the core. • ! , ..."I .say that without-any offence to anyone/but there it is, and it is an . economic "fact. ■ When we take people to-New Zealand we have to prepare the -way. We have land for settlement arid the scope for more production. We must have markets for that production, and receive in return sufficient to keep men and their families living. . We will play our part if Britain will play hers. I think Britain will rise ;to the occasion. Now, there it is! We want to sell you more of our products. That means we are willing to take more of yours. We will spend every shilling we "get from you in buying your goods and ( services. Are you ready to make a dealt: That is the qeustion we are putting to ybu. DEFENCE AND POPULATION.. "When we are talking about defence we must, at'the same time, talk about population. Defence depends in the first place upon population. Our job is not merely to occupy and develop but to use the territories known as the British Commonwealth of Nations. X am hoping that we might get Mr. Morrison to come to New Zealand. I know what such a journey means to a busy man like him, but it would mean a lot to us and to ti.e British Commonwealth if we could get representative men and women from Britain to visit us. We. have had Lord Elibank', and quite a> number of other delegates to the Conference of the Chambers of Commerce. Although we did not agree 100 per cent; on everything, we are still friends, and we will welcome his lordship to New Zealand with open arms on any future occasion: It would be a dull world if we were to think along the same lines on economic and other questions. ' « "We in New Zealand say that when we, produce' goods arid services, the p?ople responsible for their production sHould.be able to enjoy to an equal extent the values/that they are capable of producing. That is the foundation of trade at ' home and abroad. Unless the people can be buyers to the same extent that they are producers we will never solve economic pro- . blems facing the British Common.- . wealth and the world today. New Zealand is well on the way ' We have reduced hours of labour and are increasing pay. There is no other way by which the people of the Commonwealth, can get the benefit of science and-.invention. "ONE SIMPLE ?XESSAGE." "I have one simple message. It is just this: we have increasing -production. There is any amount of room for people in New Zealand. We want to be able to take increasing amounts from you. That is the mission of my . colleague, Mr. Nash, and I I told him . when he .left New Zealand to stay in England as long as the problem remained and while he was getting any | . encouragement at all in the way of inter-Imperial trade—and there is any amount of room for more of that trade. We will do our job.

"We are branded as visionaries and a thousand and one other things, but I would sooner be an idealist and

branded as a visionary dedicating' my life in trying to give effect to my hopes and dreams than to go down to the grave branded as a great statesman waiting for something to turn up." (Laughter and applause.) Mr. Morrison, also replying to Lord Elibank, said that" the economic welfare of the vast network of industry and commerce depended upon the* economic success of the primary producer. It was a wise policy to try to harmonise the conflicting interests of the various people engaged in that network, and co-operation was necessary for the success of all.

"We have," said Mr. Morrison, "an unbounded admiration for the great dairying industry of New Zealand, and I hope that this spirit of ec-operation will enable us to find a satisfactory solution for our difficulties. My one word will be that all of our producers at home or overseas are interested in onevital fact, thei stability of this Home market on which we all depend." i

Referring to English agriculture, Mr. Morrison said that more people were engaged in that industry in England than in any of the Dominions! It was a powerful industry, in time of peace and a vital one in time of war. Cooperation and vision were necessary today between agriculture, industry, and commerce, and, said Mr. Morrison, he was prepared to do his part.