EMPIRE CONFERENCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 October 1926, Page 5

EMPIRE CONFERENCE

TRADE ASPECTS DISCUSSED.

NEED FOR REMEDIES.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association). (By Cable —Press Assn. —Copyright.)

LONDON, October 21.

Sir P. Cunliffe-Lister (President of th e Board of Trade), addressing uie Imperial Conference, reviewed the steps taken to Cittry out the recommendations of the Imperiitl Economic Conference of 1923. The success of the Conference was discoverable in the growth and present prospects of inter-Ilnperial trade. Overseas portions of the Empire were taking an increasing proportion of British exports, Britain doing vice versa. “There will be special need to continue the process during the next few years,” said Sir P. Cunliffe-Lister, “while the effects of the war, with depreciated foreign currencies, continue to be felt. The more we buy and sell within the Empire, the easier it will be to maintain our own exchanges. Inter-Empire trade depends on Empire population, but it is equally true that capacity to absorb population depends upon trade.” Detailing the progress of the campaign to encourage British consumption of Empire products, Sir P. Cun-liffe-Lister said th e British public were alive to the possibilities of .Umpire trade, and were eager to buy British goods. The development of producers’ organisations and producers’ pools would improve th e standards of quality, grading and packing, also the regularity of supplies ; but consumers would be watchful, feUring artificial increases in price, also a policy to hold up supplies. Buyers and sellers would be assisted by fuller disclosure of stocks. He mentioned that the British Government was preparing a census of production and suggested that if such could be extended throughout the Empire, it would improve inter-Empire trading. Th e Minister pointed out that tne Marketing Board’s million grant was a substitute for the abortive preference proposals, and he expressed the opinion that it should be more valuable in increasing the sales of Empire P r °- duce than the limited preferences for which the grant was substituted, which had been done to win approval for preferences as a permanent feature of the British tariff. Sir P. Cun liffe-Lister added; “It is rightly so, seeing that over a hundred millions worth of British exports enjoy preference in various parts of the Empire.” lie would ask the Conference to con-, sider proposals for unifying the law respecting shipowners’ Inability, shipping mortgages, immunity of Stateowned ships, and oil pollution ol navigable water. He would also call attention to the advisableness oi standardising designs and specifications for machinery, materials and apparatus, instancing the case of the Office of Works which had standardised Government furniture, also the fact that 132 public bodies in Britain had 132 different sets of specifications for polic e uniforms. He considered the ultimate ideal would be Empirewide standards, which would greatly assist in production apd consumption. Close attention should be given to the vast possibilities of advertising Empire goods through the cinema, from which America had admittedly derived enormous benefit.

MR AMERY’S SPEEECH. Air Amery (Colonial and Dominion Secretary), reviewing the operations of the Imperial Economc Committee and the*-Empire Alarketing Board, said he was most impressed by progressively valuable reports prepared by the Economic Committee, which had found its feet, getting at facts, and suggesting really substantial improvements in marketing the Empire’s produce, including that of home grown. His only positive conclusion was that it would b e most desirable to empower the Committee io plan out a programme of inquiries a reasonably,, long time beforehand. The Alarketing Board had been most valuable in helping to create a voluntary preference for British goods. Enormous work could be done in the direction of research. For instance, it was estimated that ten per cent, of the world’s crops was destroyed yearly by insects. Research also would be most important into the problems of transportation and cold storage. mr Amery added that the low temperature Research Station at Cambridge had done excellent work, despite inadequate equipment, but an extra capital of twenty-five thousand and a yearly income of five thousand were being allotted to the station to develop the inquiries re cold storage, , lhe carriage of all perishable foodstuffs from overseas, was the Empire’s greatest need. The direction of research was a gradual linking up and co-ordination of the research work being carried out in any part of the Empire, with a quick interchange of ideas, and of the results of discoveries. It was hoped the Conference w»uld examine the whole work of the Imperial Economic Committee, and consider what shape it should take m future. Above all Air Amery trusted tb.e Conference would encourage a continuance of its Committee’s work for the common good.

BANQUET FROM MERCHANTS DEVELOPING EMPIRE TRADE LONDON, October 21. The Delegates to the Imperial Conference were banquetted to-night at the Hotel Victoria by the Association of British Chambers of Commerce. The President, Mr. Gilbert Yoyle, occupied the chair. The full commercial strength of the Empire was represented, and in addition many leading colonials were present. Mr. Bruce urged the commercers to depend upon themselves, and not upon Governments, for Empire prosperity; otherwise their last stage would be worse than their first. Sir William Lees (Vice-President) welcomed the delegates, and proposed the toast of the British Commonwealth of Nations.

Mr. Coates responded. He said that he appreciated the Chambers’ assistance in New Zealand’s recent railway purchases. He urged the commercers to despatch to New Zealand their f- range of literature to counteract a flood of foreign matter. Mr. Coates emphasised the fact that New Zealand’s inter-imperial trade would give employment to people of the Empire. .Recalling Trafalgar Day, he paid a tribute to the Navy as. the shield of the Empire. He concluded: “We will get mutual imperial goodwill, quite

apart from rhlsing any question of reciprocity.”

Maharajah Burdwan also responded, and urged a mutual uriderstanding.

Sir P. Cunliffe-Lister, in proposing “Empire Trade,” said it would be greater if the opportunities were realised. He did not think the bankers’ manifesto removed the difficulties of foreign. trade.. It was more important for the Empire to concentrate on its own trade. Voluntary imperial pfOferefiee whs the surest basis of this. He declared the toast was Britain’s pledge to do everything possible to extend imperial trade. Mr. Bruce, in responding, said the Empire’s trade was the Empire’s most Vital Him. Economic questions were now more important than three years ago. Therefore the decisions thereon should have the full authority of the Imperial Conference. The' Empire’s defence depended upon maintaining their position as a great commercial nation, The navy must still protect the trade routes. They should cease platitudinizing about their glorious past and discover what was the matter in order to solve their future problems, which came down to a question of markets, of which Britain was the best of the lot. He endorsed Mr. Coates’s point about producing articles that buyers wanted. Science must be applied to industry to reduce the cost of production', and to enable them to enter the world’s markets on an Empire-wide basis of efficiency.

Sir Francis Bell proposed “Our Hosts.”

Mr. Voyle, responding, said the visitors were distinguished representatives of Britain’s best customers. The Chamber of Commerce could not too closely co-operate. The Association would welcome conferences with the Empire’s trading and commercial interests preceding the Imperial conferences and including an advisory committee. Though the protective tariffs in Europe were not so high that they proved a trade barrier, the differences in language precluded a parallel between the United States of America and a similar union -of the nations in Europe.

DELEGATES DISAPPOINTED.

LONDON, October 21.

Both th e generosity and completeness of Sir Austen Chamberlain’s exposition yesterday of Britain’s foreign relations, as they concern the Dominions, deeply impressed .. the Dominion Premiers, but to-day they were far less enthusiastic over Sir . P. Cunliffe-Lister’s statement on Empire .trade development, preferences and other aspects of Imperial economics, or over Mr Amery’s speech on Empire marketing. Only transcripts of the British Ministers’ speeches were issued to-night. The debate on Sir P. - Cunliffe-Lis-ter’s and Mr Amery’s statements have been deferred till to-morrow, but already sufficient has been said to show the Dominion delegates are bitterly disappointed at the lack of any constructive suggestion, not to say any practical plan, which characterised both of the trade surveys. One view is that if this is the best that the dominions’ Office and the Board of Trade can do, then the present Conference is unlikely to get anywhere on the way to developing inter-Tmperial i rade. Hints have already been thrown out that the Home authorities should come out with some definite basis upon which discussions can proceed. Otherwise the attempt .to promote more active Empire settlement through better-developed preferential trade will prove futile.

LEAGUE AND MANDATES

LONDON, October 21. The speeches of the Dominion Premiers on the mandates will not be available till to-morrow.

It is. no secret that Air Bruce, Air Coates'and Air Hertzog made comments that were most frank and critical, particularly on the League of Nations’ Alandates’ Commission’s questionaire of 118 . clauses. Much of the Premiers’ warm criticism will not appear in to-morrow’s official report, but it can be said that they most firmly resented undue interference in matters considered solely within the domestic administrative right of the mandatories. In this connection, they were assured the League Council was staying its hand until the mandatories have submitted their views. For this purpose a Committee the Conference is be|ng established to draw up a statement in their joint interests. This will also include a strong protest against the League Commission's idea of calling on officials and residents of the Alandates’ Commission to give information bearing upon administrative affairs. The general view appears to be that the mandatories have hitherto be so careful to disclose most fully the details of their work that the Commission’s proposal is a tactless reflection on their candour. There is also the/ hottest (opposition to tne Commission’s suggestion that the aggrieved persons m the mandated territories should nave the right to approach the Commission as petitioners over the heads of the administrations. It is learned that there is nothing in a suggestion made in one quarter for a pooling of the mandates.

MISCELLANEOUS

LONDON, October 21.

Air Coates, on Saturday, receives a deputation of five, representing butter importers, blenders, wholesalers, shop* keepers and small dealers. On Alonday he will broadcast a fifteen minutes’ speech on New Zealand. The same night, Air Coates will witness the light between Toni Heeney (New Zealand) and Stanley, at the National Sporting Club. The interested Premiers had a further conference on the Pacific cable dispute. It is understood that progress was made, so far, towards an agreement that Canada’s approval of an immediate landing of the cable for testing purposes is assured, .and all other difficulties are likely to be adjusted by Saturday.