WAR ITEMS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, 26 October 1916, Page 6

WAR ITEMS.

AFTER-WAR TRADE

The resolutions of the Paris Conterence on trade with Germany were discussed in the House of Commons on August 2.. ' '■ "The war has opened our eyes to the full meaning and the manifest implication of,the German system of economic penetration," saiti MrAsquith. ''It is impossible to think that Germany will not continue to be animated by the same spirit and purpose when the war is over, and she will start w&h certain very obvious and very considerable advantages. It is thus necessary in our view to make thorough preparations for the coming of peace." Having thus outlined the position the' Premier passed in review the resolutions of the Paris Conference, commenting on them seriatim. He attached special importance to the clause debarring the. enemy from favorednation treatment for a number or years; spoke of the necessity of the Allies conserving for their own use their own raw materials; and emphasised the importance of the Allies rendering themselves industrially independent of the enemy. A start had already been made on this last point, x and the omens were good. / "Large numbers of British industries ' have shown extraordinary enterprise and resourcefulness since war broke out. (Cheers.) In certain trades, 1 am told, the changes amount to a positive revolution: There is scarcely an industry in this country which nas come out of the ordeal of war without being braced and stimulated by the special difficulties which had to be surmounted." ~, Labor was promised a bigger share ' in tlie new prosperity . foreshadowed. "The Government are tinder an obligation to see that the benefits are fairly apportioned among all sections of the . community," said Mr Asquith. • In the nearest approach he made _to concrete; examples of :the new policy i.'Mr Asfquith announced: <:. „ The Board of Trade have devised schemes to render us independent of "the enemy supply of dyes, spelter, and other commodities. j A State scheme of assistance and scientific and industrial, research is in course of creation

Investigations are being made tea number of expert committees into a number of important-branches of industry and into the province of finance, i . ' '.'■-...■■ . The question of commercial and industrial policy generally has been re,ferred to a strong "committee, with Lord Balfour of Burleigh as chairman. There will be a conference with the Dominion and' Indian Governments. ■.. Mr Asquith laid emphasis, on the facif .that the resoltitions of the Paris Conference were adopted by the -repre^ sentatives of nations of widely divergent economic interests. / Then he disclosed the secret that the resolutions dealing with the most-favored-hation treatment, dumping and unfair competition, and the adoption of measures rendering the Allies independent of Germany .were put forward by the Bjribish representatives, and had been drafted, by Mr Runciman himself.