POST-WAR TRADE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17859, 3 August 1918, Page 9

POST-WAR TRADE.

ECONOMIC POLICY. THE PREMIER'S STATEMENT. ALLIED PARTNERSHIP MUST NOT F,E DISSOLVED. A. and N.Z. • Cable Association and Reuter. (Received August 2, 9.60. p.m.) LONDON, August 1. The Press Bureau states:—Replying to a deputation of two hundred manufacturers, introduced by Sir Edward Carson, at tho House of Commons, urging an early declaration of the Government's economic policy, the Prime Minister, who was accompanied by Mr 'Bonar Law, emphasised that such a declaration was being delayed by war preoccupations and also the necessity tor keeping in touch with and being in complete accord with tho Dominions and Allies. . Mr Llovd George, continuing, said that the Government bad been discussing the problem with the Dominions during the last few weeks. The Government had had a discussion with, tho Allies bfore America entered the war, but up to the present America bad not expressd any opinion on, the f»™ resolutions. It was vitally important that the policy Of the United States and the nolicy of Britain should completely I All he could say .«b present was SEt" he was very -hopeful because an Inter-Allied agreement on these, great problems meant that the economic fate 8 tl o world would be in the hands of +L Allies The Premier emphasised the necessig of securing, the essential industries against unfair attack and unftgCompetition, There were mdnstries which were essential, not merely from a commercial viewpoint, but from the viewpoint of national defence. He dS noldoubt that they would reach or, agreement in this regard. No Government could possibly avoid giving the earliest and deepest consideration to the matter. The longer the war lasted'the sterner m»s,t be the eocmojuo terms imposed on tho foe. Ihe sooner the Allies realised that the bettef. They must bo in a position to determine what were to be our conditions, wi bout having them »?■*{*&• will of the enemy. He agreed;that immediately after peace £ere wdl bjindustrial dislocation. One of the great Sing™»"tli the Allies rad the dominions. „„,i„,i +„ Rn v •Mr- Tlovd George proceeded to saj in'sibtingVd encouraging coupled with :he combined effort among industrialists, bagniheently as Liu b,s ies and industrial communi.es hie! shown a capacity, to organise ioi war. He quite agreed that when the war was over the present absolutey necesshrv interference in business by tlio State must disappear. During the transition period they were not going-to set raw material without considerabb Government interference. Ihey muist also organise the transport. Ihey had to see that tho dominions received a fair sliare of British manufactures, and the Allies were also entitled to receive assistance from Britain in re-equipment of the essential conditions of their industrial and national life. Perhaps a business order might come from an enemy source and bo more remunerative than an order from Britain, the dominions or the Allies. He thought that they ought to see that the people who v. ere fighting together should be served first. "Do not let us make tho mistake of dissolving partnership the moment the fighting ends," he added. "The world will not come right immediately after the war. If you dissolvo the partnership with all these great peoples, tlie partnership cemented with blood there will be men quite ready to take advantage of it, even, when the war is over. Therefore, it is vital that when the war is over, and the flranJsitiori period has come, when there will not be enough to go round, we must) keep the partnership going and help each other to the end, so that our brotherhood shall remain." The Premier deprecated the revival of past controversies. " Let us consider (lie problem anew," he went on. "It is the only way we can secupo ■ absolute national unity. I shall bo very surprised if you arc not quite satisfied with the Government's statemen fc when it is made, but first W» must get info closer contact with our Allies and see that there is no declaration that will in tho leastwise interfere with Allied concord, goodwill and co-operation. Be assured that it will bo the chief concern of the. Government to- sop that the great industries on which fhe strength of the country depends shall be developed and strengthened." ; Mr Bonar Law, following, dealt -with the question of control and said that the Government was anxious to abandon wartime restrictions as soon as possible and to allow individual competition free play. He pointed out that perfect Freedom at the cud of the war was impossible. He fully believed that a corner, perhaps organised by their old. enemies, would arise in almost all of the staple raw materials. Ono of the lessons of the war was the necessity not only of thinking of the profits the manufacturers could make hut of the conditions of the men who worked for them. The war had rendered one step easier, which was an immenso move forward in the whoje conception of the trade policy, thatl of the Government's acknowledgement "that tho principle that we are one Empire,, and that our preference should be within the Empire, is established." He. was convinced that the whole country would endorse the .Government's decision,

One of the lessons of the war was the necessity to produce where possible such things as were essential to preserving the country's .safety and independence. The best, way to secure this was to get the largest possible amount or unity and support for the plan tho b-ovcrnment proposed to adopt' +1 * r -?°ii ar L;, V s /"' fI blmt ~e believed thatl if the conditions of labour were to be maintained there must be stability in the home market. Ho emphasised. th 0 .point that tho Government consideration of this matter was difficult and. complicated owing to the fact that it must think of tho country's Allies. Fortunately a very large percentage of the essential raw material was within the Empire, and th P question of preference -was going to be an immense advantage to the whole Empire, because the dominions' present ffij ? their produce at the disposal of the Empire would continue after the war. He was confident that the statement which the Government would be able to make would not conlict with the views of any of th 0 Allies especially America, 'whose .goodwill was vital. b