WITHIN THE EMPIRE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 26 November 1924, Page 5

WITHIN THE EMPIRE.

PREFERENCE ISSUE

THE BALDWIN POLICY. EXTENSIONS HINTED AT. BY CABLE —PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT LONDON, Nov. 24. Mr. ,L. C. Ameiy, Secretary for the Colonies, at the Empire producers luncheon, announced that the Government would carry out the preference recommendations of the 1923 Imperial Conference and hinted at extensions of the preferences within the British fiscal system. He pointed out that in carrying out the policy which the Premier (Mr Stanley Baldwin) had placed in the forefront of his election programme, the Government would undoubtedly be subjected to limitations like Mr Baldinn’s pledge not to impose new food duties for tiie sake of preference, which might be regrettable, but, it was a necessary concession to fears which, however groundless, were nevertheless real. While therefore the Government was pledged in this direction, it was no less pledged to carry out the Imperial Conference’s recommendations. Mr. Amery further announced that so long as the duty of a halfpenny a pound existed on sugar, there would be preference given to an equal amount on Empire products. The Government would also follow out the principle laid down at the Imperial Conference of 1917 with the assent of all parties that wherever and whenever in safeguarding its own interests or for the sake of revenue, any Government in the Empire found itself obliged to impose a duty, there would be definite preference in favour of the Empire and against the foreigner. Mr. Amery referred to the rooted habits of consumers accustomed to a particular label, and to agencies handling and distributing foreign goods, who would probably dispute every inch of the field with the Empire producer. The aim should be the clearing of the channels of Eiinpire trade, which were choked by various prejudices against Imperial preference and vested interests.

Mr. Amery foreshadowed an early meeting of the Economic Committee, arranged at the 1923 Imperial Conferene. The first dirty of this committee would be to ascertain how Empire products could he brought to the consumer ;; at a moderate price, while >securing a reasonable return to the producer. He recalled the insistence of Mr. S. M. Bruce (Premier of Australia) at the Economic Conference that the questions of markets, money .and men formed a trilogy. The Government would endeavour to carry out to the fullest extent the policy of finding for Empire development all the money needed. The Government would also carry out fully the policy of emigration to any Dominion willing to co-operate.

FOSTERING DOMINION TRADE

EMPIRE PRODUCTION NEEDED

LONDON, Nov. 25. Mr. Stanley Maehin, speaking at the dinner of the London shipping and forwarding agents, said foreign markets were being closed against Britain for one reason or another. Therefore, it was ' increasingly important to develop trade with the Dominions. After the last Imperial Conference Britain seemed to say: “You go your own way and we will go ours.” That was an impossible attitude. The Morning Post asks: “What will happen if the Rtoyal Commission finds that the meat trade profits are excessive? It seems to us that the centre of the meat trade is not under the British flag. Therefore we are powerless. The true way to go to work, as the Colonial Secretary (Mr. L. C. S. Amery) seemed to suggest yesterday, is to encourage production within the Empire.”