BACK FROM LONDON.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 25 August 1924, Page 8

BACK FROM LONDON.

MR. A. H. ASHBOLT’S RETURN. A SELF-SUPPORTING EMPIRE. PREFERENCE TO DOMINIONS. Amongst the through passengers by the Niagara was Mr. Alfred Henry Ashbolt, for five years Agent-General for Tasmania in London. Seen by a representative of the Auckland Star, Mr. Ashbolt said that he was on his way back to Tasmania after five years in England. “I retired,” he said,” as I had no desire to spend all my life in London.” Upon the remark being made that a man naturally likes his own home best, Mr. Ashbolt said: ‘‘Really, you know, I am a New Zealander, as lam a native of Christchurch. You will remember the family of Ashbolt’s, well known in the cricketing circles in Christchurch, well, I belong to them. Of course, I have been a long time while iff Tasmania, still I am a New' l Zealander.”

Speaking with regard to the Empire Exhibition, Mr. Ashbolt said it was a wonderful success and had so far accomplished all that was claimed for it. “In my opinion,” he said, “the Exhibition should be kept open next year, as by ■that means the guarantors will be afforded a chance of making a recovery from what at present seems* likely to be a heavy loss,which must occur if the Exhibition is closed down at the date originally determined upon.” “That does not look as if the Exhibition had been very well patronised.” £ ‘No, that is not the position,” 'said Mr. Ashbolt. “You must remember that for the first six weeks the attendance at the Exhibition was very poor on account of the wretched weather. It was raining almost tlie whole time. Since finer weather has set in, the attendance lias been very good, but it requires an attendance of 90,000 people per day to pay expenses, and if you have rain for the first six weeks, then you do not get the public to turn out. “One great lesson taught by the Exhibition is tliat it has placed beyond all question the fact that our Empire self-supporting and selLdependent, if can produce within it' all that is required. Tlie British Empire can be the people of Britain decide to make full use of what can be produced within its bounds. Unfortunately the present Government in Britain was not prepared to support the recommendation of the- Economic Conference .regarding inter-Empire trade and preferential tariff with the overseas Dominions. This is the more to be regretted because if Britain would take all it requires from the overseas Dominions, it would mean that those countries could make room for the surplus population of the Old Land. This would secure the important point of British people finding homes within the Empire, and tend to still further build it up' At ’the present time England is taking more produce from foreign countries than from her own overseas Dominions, which means neglect of the chance to provide homes within our Empire for her annual surnlus population. “ 1

‘'.Personally,” said Mr. Ashbolt, “I think that in the near future the Government of Britain will grant preference to oversea Dominions. It is my opinion that preferential tariff woud have been carried out but for the fact that protection of British industries was tacked on to it. That aroused the Free Trade interests, as anything in the nature of protection causes that partv to raise their shibboleth.” Touching upon the question of the financial position in Britain, Mr. Ashbolt said that notwithstanding the after war affect on trade, England was still in the position to supply all legitimate wants of overseas Dominions in the shape of public loans tor further .development.