EMPIRE TRADE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17435, 23 March 1917, Page 8

EMPIRE TRADE.

POST-WAR POLICY. ; [Fiic-M. Oca ConnEsroxDENT.] LONDON, January -'6.' ■ Mr F. M. B. Fisher, ex-Minister Of .Trade and Marino of New Zealand, paid a visit to Liverpool yesterday under the auspices of the British Empire'Producers' Organisation* ..and addressed the.members cf the'Council of* the Chamber of Commerce on the subject of Empire trade development. He was very glad, he said, to see that the Prime .Minister of his Dqminion and the Minister of Finance were both in this country awaiting the Imperial Conference to bo held oither uv. February or in March- They were taking as many opportunities as possible of meeting the business men ..of Great Britain, because for the; past twentyfive years, they had asked-, them to listen, but their crjcs.had fallen upon deaf' ears* and their proposals had .come before eyes that would nob see: He wished to urge Upon the business men of this country the .necessity of asserting themselyes, for they had seen from afar the business of their 'own Empite retarded by- 'the. Government, instead of being aided' by it; they had seen the supremacy of tlie 1 British'Empire entirely' challenged.. .. .It was not surprising to find';th'at ;; the) 'German? policy of peaceful p.ehWtr'ation, 'Stateaided, as it was, had ; ! overhauled the,trade policy of the Brib'sli, who had worker! in spite of the. State. He did not think much was to be gained by a prohibitive or -protective policy. If the German trade policy was I ' going to be checked after the'war-it-was necessary to have better,..,machinery and better workers, upon whom! they must try to . ircoress the necessity of. increasing their labour. ;' It wa s being found that the solution of labour problems lav, not in the suppression, but in the education of labour. In tho future capital and labour 1 must go hand in hand, and labour must receive incieased pay for enhanced efficiency.