BRITISH TRADE.

Grey River Argus, 2 May 1929, Page 3

BRITISH TRADE.

WITH COLONIES. Amery’s Statement. RUGBY, April 30. In the course of a debate on the Colonial Office Estimates, in the House of Commons, Mr Amery. Colonial Secretary, in allusion to the Dead Sea area, said that the region contained yapt quantities of minerals. Whether those minerals could be extracted under conditions, which yield a commercial profit was uncertain, but he was glad to say that long negotiations between th e Palestinian and Trans Jordanian Governments and concessionaries, had now practically come to a conclusion, satisfactory from the viewpoint of the two Governments,

Mr Amery mentioned that the total trade of the Colonial Empire had by 1927 come very close to five hundred millions, and he had no doubt the figures of the present year would well exceed it. Whilst the situation from the viewpoint of the rubbergrowers was still difficult and anxious, the gloomy predictions . made when the Government decided to end the scheme of restriction had -.ot been fulfilled. There was no sudden swamping o f the market last November, with vast stores of rubber held baek. On the contrary, the price rose from that date, and whilst it was still under a shilling, that price represented more than the same price would have represented under the restrictions, because it represented rubber produced under more favourable Overhead charges', and he believed, was produced in almost every case with increasing efficiency all round. Referring to the Colonial Development Fund, the creation of which had been foreshadowed by the Prime Minister, Mr Amery said that such a fund was eon.ribute not only t 0 the welfare of the inhabitants of the colonies concerned, but directly in orders for equipment of railways and other public works, and indirectly to the general expansion of trade it would contribute to the creation of muehueeded employment in this country. Mr Amery announced that he had appointed a committee, with the following terms of reference, to consider the existing system of appointments in the Colonial Office, t 0 tho public services of dependencies, not po-sess-ing responsible governments, and to make such recommendations as might be considered lie sai<d that these were wide terms of referncq, so as to give the committee a very free hand. Sir Warren Fisher would preside, and -other members would include Sir Samuel Wilson, Sir H. Bell, Mr John Buchan, M.P., Sir W. Riddell, Sir John Palmer, Sir Robert (Hamilton, M.P., Mr Meiklejohn Dr Cyril Norwood (Headmaster of Harrow), Sir Russel Scott, Dr Shielq. M.P., and Mr Tomkinson. Mr Amery added that Britain’s exports to colonial dependencies in 1905 were eighteen millions, and in 1927 fifty-five millions. Imports from the colonies in the same years were 19} millions and 60 millions respectively