EMPIRE EXHIBITION.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 20 October 1922, Page 8

EMPIRE EXHIBITION.

CAN IT BE ENTIRELY BRITISH? i BY CABTjE-PSESS ASSOCIATION-COPYEIGHT Received Oct. 20, 9 a.m. 1 LONDON, Oct. 19. ' Mr. A. H. McMahon, chairman of the management committee of the Empire^ Exhibition, writes to the press declaring that the committee fully agrees with Mr. Robert Donald on tbe principle of giving preference to Empire produce in restaurants. • The only difference refers to the manner in which the wishes of the Dominions can behest carried out. The committee has been warned by expert advisors of the difficulty of enforcing the desired conditions. The' taskof the caterers is already formidableT^and the committee has not succeeded in finding any firm willing to undertake the business subject to the rigid restrictions suggested by Mr. Donald. The general manager, however, has been instructed, in negotiating with caterers, to endeavour to meet the wishes of the Dominions, subject to necessary exceptions, such as Havana cigars and French wines. Regarding the use of Empire timber, Mr. Donald appears to have completely misunderstood the manager's report, which did not suggest that the Empire did not contain suitable fencing timber, but merely referred to the difficulty in obtaining suitable material for urgent requirements from stocks at present available in Britain. Mr. Connolly has written to Sir Joseph Cook suggesting that he should call a meeting of all High Commissioners and Agents-General to consider the position arising from Mr. Donald's letter, regarding the Empire exhibition. Mr. Connolly said that be will recommend West Australia not to participate in the exhibition if it is going to be a semi-foreign affair. He has always understood that the exhibition's prime aim was to break down the ring of vested interests which for years have been working to bolster up foreign commodities, especially food. If the Board of Trade said, as reported, that the Empire could not supply meat, fruit, maize and cheese, it shows wilful ignorance of Dominion conditions. Even more astounding is the statement by the general manager of the exhibition that the Dominions cannot supply suitable timber for fences. Mr. Connolly ■undertakes to provide West Australian fencing timber equal to, or better than, any timber in the world. ,The exhibition in 1920 showed the wealth and variety of Imperial timber supplies.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.