ECONOMIC UNIT

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 30 November 1928, Page 5

ECONOMIC UNIT

! EMPIRE EVOLUTION. NEEDS Of THE FUTURE. LORiD MELCHETT’S OPINIONS (United J-resa Association —By Electric Telegraph Copyright) (Australian Press Association.) Received 10.15 a.m. to-day. LONDON, Nov. 29. “It is as clear as crystal tliat unless we succeed fairly soon in Avoiding the Empire into an economic unit, avc shall see a tendency towards economic, divergencies,” declared Lord Melchett, at a luncheon to the Empire Industries Association. “Sentiments and goodAvill Avill not indefinitely keep developing the communities together. Just as avc must have the largest, units in industry, so we must have larger units in economics. When aa t c look at the prosperity of the United iStates, to Avhich 'we cannot see a stop being put Avith her. great free trade area within a tariff Avail, and Avhen avc see the groAving tendency toAvards economic rapproachment in Europe, avc must wonder Avhat is goiu,g to hapjien to this country. I absolMcly challenge iSir Austen Chamberlain’s reported statement in Canada that England is part of Europe. (She is not. Instead of turning her eyes to 'Geneva, she should turn them to OttaAva and Sydney; instead of trying to placate the quarrelsome states of Europe, Ave should bind together the Empire’s great heritage. A conference of the Empire’s big business men could work out a scheme of interImperial trade, paying due regard to the aspirations of the Dominions to develop their OAvn industries. If only avc had the courage to put, a ring tariff fence around the Empire. There is not a free trader in this, or any other country who could oppose a great extension of free interchange of goods as this Avould ultimately involve. I hope Ave shall never alloAV other nations to 1 dictate what avc should be allowed to do Avith our great heritage. It.is time the people of Britain began to assert themselves.”