QUEST FOR TRADE

Grey River Argus, 12 August 1925, Page 5

QUEST FOR TRADE

BY

BRITAIN.

MARKETING CONTROL rUIIEMES. (Received August 11 at 7.50 p.m.) LONDON, August 1-1. The Imperial Economic Cummittee *s first rep..-it on the marketing Empire foodstuffs declares th.it the time is ripe fol a nation:,l effort to st.mu late the consumption. of Empire produce in the l.’.iited Kingdom. So far as the state is concerned, the scheme should rest on, firstly, legal lequirerneuts with a view to the identification of Empire goods: secondly, financial ussist'i.ine for education and pub licity, which the Committee regniiled t.s mutually essential. The Mci.diaiidise Marks Bill at present before I’m liament would form a convenient basis for further legislation which seems necessary. The enforcement e.f a law i.i respect to mailieting at the time of importation and labelling at the time of retail sales should rest with one of the existing Departments of state. Ai. Executive Commission should be f irm ed, on the model of. the Development and Forestry Commissions, for the purpose of supervising the expenditure id an annual grant from the British Bar liament., and should be charged with the duty cf conducting a movcmc.it for trade in Empire prod tee. ThiCominission should start by allocating

about sixty-five per cent, of the annual grant for the promotion of trade it; Empire products, and above fifteen

per cent, for research. The remain mg twenty per cent should be reserve I for rerl:i’*-:i oth,.-r schemes, including the promotion of fruit growing in the tropical portions of the Umpire, and the carriage cf pedigree stock from the United Kingdom and from overseas parts of the Empire. In a letter to Mr Mai-Kinder (chair man of the Economic Committee) Mr Baldwin has promised the Government’s full and prompt consideration of the report. “The Times’’ says: The Economic Committee’s report affords gratifying tangible evidence cf definite progress towards the groat ideal cf co-operation by all parts of the Empire involving a trade policy for the benefit cf the whole. It will be incumbent on the Dominions and colonies to see that th. Empire origin Libel becomes a guarantee of quality. The “Daily Mail’’ says: There is no inherent reason why we should import such enormous food supplies from foreign lands. The larger tho trade 'within tho Empire, the more prosper OUS and safer the Empire.