IRELAND’S SELF-SUFFICIENCY

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 19 August 1933, Page 11

IRELAND’S SELF-SUFFICIENCY

’A* University College, Dublin', Mr J. Maynard Keynes, the economist, delivered a lecture under the Finlay Trust on “National Economic SelfSufficiency.” If he were an Irishman', he said', he’ would find much to attract him in the Government’s striving towards a self-sufficiency, but ns L a practical man, who considered poverty and insecurity of life to be great evils, be would wish first to satisfy himself on two matters.

He would ask if Ireton'd was sufficiently large for more than a veiry modest measure of self-suffieden'cy to be feasible without a disastrous reduction in a standard of life which already was none too high. He believed that

Arrangement with England Urged

the answer would be that it would bo an a'c't of high wisdom on the part of the Irish to enter info an economic arrangement with England, which within certain appropriate limits, would retain for Ireland her traditional British market, against mutual advantages for British' producers. He would see nothing derogatory in such a policy to political or cultural autonomy, but would regard' it as an act of common sense. To-d'ay it was not too late to accomplish such a policy, but every delay would make it more difficult, inasmuch a« the exclusion of Ireland’s agricultural product suited the present trend of agricultural policy in Great Britain.