Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 1930. EMPIRE FREE TRADE

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 June 1930, Page 6

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 1930. EMPIRE FREE TRADE

Baldwin’s statement to the Empire Press Conference, that it is infinitely easier to lead h Government than an Opposition, will probably be shared by most of those who have, .filled these positions. When, a Party is in power there is less disposition to censure leaders, but when out of office, there is a natural tendency to seek scapegoats, and the heads- form the easiest prey. Mr. Baldwin is having a trying time of late, in the attempt to prevent the Homeland Conservatives being nished into a tariff policy which, prematurely adopted, would cause them to. remain as Opposition for many years. Whatever else can be said about Homeland politics, nothing is more certain than that the great majority of the electors are against tariff proposals which Avould affect food prices. That has been demonstrated often during the past thirty years, and there is no sign, yet, of any serious change in public opinion. The Homeland people do not credit statements that a tariff against foreign products and free entry of Empire commodities would not be detrimental to their pockets. The Homeland realises the value to the consumers of competition among the sellers, and the British workers will take a lot of persuading that it is in their financial interests to abandon a free trade policy. The Conservatives have previously met disaster by their tinkering with this question, and from his Party’s viewpoint, Mr. Baldwin is wise in refusing to be stampeded by Press agitation into the adoption of what is really Protection. Whether the British, people arc right or wrong in their opinions, is beside the present argument. The fact that they retain such belief, despite many attempts to convert them, must be accepted. > ' Their own national policies being strongly Protectionist, overseas dwellers are inclined to be impatient with Homeland free traders, but without entering the old controversy, it can be claimed that as good a ease can be made out for free trade, as for its opposite, so far as Britain is. concerned. The cause of Empire free trade, and Empire commerce, generally, will not be advanced if insufficient consideration is paid by overseas delegates to Homeland susceptibilities on this question, especially as there is a strong conviction in Britain that the Dominions’ plea is onesided. Britain is already the overseas’ main market, but her trade with foreign nations is enormous, selling as well as buying. Statistics are often quoted, that New Zealand or some other Dominion, has the largest per capita purchase from Britain, but it is the gross extent of the business done, and not the population quota in a particular land, that really matters. The educational propaganda regarding Empire trading should not be confined to the Homeland, as overseas’ misconceptions must be remedied before the ideal of a self-supporting Empire can be achieved.